The Face of Darkness
by Bekah See
Summary: With Cam injured and Vala off galavanting somewhere, SG1 is short on team members to go blow up an Ori shipyard. Jack decides to tag along. Snarkiness and lots of explosions ensue. Mild SJ.
1. Chapter 1

_This story was posted before in two parts, but I thought I'd repost it as one piece. It's a stand alone sequal to "A Light in the Darkness", but you don't have to read that one to (hopefully) enjoy this one. Let me know what you think:)_

Chapter 1

"You wanted to see me sir?" Carter asked, standing in Landry's doorway.

"Yes, Colonel, please come in." Carter entered the office and stood in front of her CO's desk, waiting for him to speak. "How soon can you get your team together?" Landry asked her.

"Well, all of us save Vala are on base right now, so it shouldn't take too long."

"Yes, that's right. Vala is taking some personal time right now, isn't she? Off doing god knows what with god knows who." Sam smothered a smile and simply waited for Landry to continue. "I have a mission for SG-1. Gather your team, Colonel, we brief in one hour."

"Yes, sir."

An hour later, SG-1 minus Vala was gathered in the briefing room waiting for Landry to emerge from his office.

"What's this all about, Sam? We weren't scheduled to go offworld again for another couple of weeks or so." Mitchell asked.

"You know as much as I do, Cam. General Landry just asked me to get us all together for a briefing. He didn't look very happy about it, though." She stopped talking as Landry came into the room.

"Alright, SG-1, I've got an assignment for you." he said shortly, sitting at the head of the table. "We've just received intel that the Ori have begun building a shipyard here in our galaxy."

Teal'c quirked an eyebrow and Daniel leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "A shipyard? Here? Why would they do that if they can just build them in their own galaxy and send them through the supergate?" Then he thought a second and amended, "Oh, right. That whole black hole thing."

"Looks like they found a way around it." Mitchell drawled lazily.

"Looks that way." Landry said. "Anyway, intel says that a new ship, one far more massive than the battle cruisers we've encountered, entered our galaxy two weeks ago and landed on a world not more than a few hundred light years from here. Evidently the ship was carrying troops and supplies, because as soon as it landed it began to disgorge thousands of people and containers, along with no less than seven priors, presumably to oversee the construction and activation of the new ships.

"Your mission is quite simple, although it is in no way easy. You are to go in and figure out how to shut down this operation once and for all. There are currently four ships in various stages of construction in the area. They all need to be permanently disabled, or destroyed, along with the means for constructing more."

"Why don't we just send a naquadah bomb through the stargate and blow them all to hell?" Mitchell asked.

"The building site is too far from the gate, and there are too many innocent lives at stake. The world the Ori chose is one that they have already converted, and the building site is on the outskirts of a city that houses over a million people."

"Let me guess" Carter said. "Those people are now working as slave labor on the ships being constructed."

"You guess right." Landry said. "I'm not going to lie to you, people. This is probably the most dangerous mission we've ever sent you out on. You'll be completely on your own. The pentagon doesn't want us sending more than four people because more would just attract attention that we don't want."

"Well then, let's go." Mitchell said, jumping up—and immediately falling on his butt. "OW!" he yelled as Teal'c reached down to pull him to his feet.

"Colonel Mitchell, I believe you have forgotten something." Teal'c said.

"Ya think?" Cam groaned.

"That's the other issue I wanted to discuss with you." Landry said as Mitchell lowered himself gingerly back into his seat. "Since Colonel Mitchell is not yet recovered from the twisted knee he got on your last mission, I'm afraid he'll be sitting this one out."

Mitchell grimaced. "This seriously sucks, you know that?"

Landry smiled sympathetically at him before continuing. "Another officer will be assigned to replace him."

Carter inwardly groaned, wondering who they would be stuck with. "Will this officer have field training, sir? It's probably not a good idea to stick us with …. I mean to send someone out who hasn't even stepped foot through the gate."

Landry grinned. "Oh, I don't think you'll have a problem with this guy." He glanced at the door as if waiting for someone to walk through. When nothing happened, he cleared his throat. "General, if you'd care to join us?"

"Oh," came a very familiar voice from the hallway. "Was that my cue?"

"Yes, Jack." Landry said, and General Jack O'Neill strode into the room to the delighted grins of the faces seated around the table.

"Jack!" Daniel said. "You're coming with us?"

"Is that alright with you, Daniel?"

"Well, of course. It's good to see you!"

"I too am gratified to see you, O'Neill." Teal'c affirmed.

"Well, thank you, Teal'c. I'm gratified that you're…uh…gratified."

Jack looked at Sam. "Carter, you mind if I horn in on your command?"

Carter glanced quickly at Mitchell. "Well, it's not exactly my command, sir, but you're more than welcome to it."

"Good. We leave in 24 hours, people, and we have a lot to do before then. Get to work, all of you."

* * *

Sam looked up from her work when a shadow fell across her table. "Oh, hello, General."

"Carter." O'Neill stood close behind her, looking over her shoulder. "Watcha doin'?"

Sam grinned to herself, enjoying his proximity. "I'm working on the cloaking devices we borrowed from the Sodan."

"You're working on them? Are they broken?"

"Um, actually, no sir. They're working fine. I just wanted to, uh, figure out how they functioned exactly."

"I see. Just don't go taking them apart in the process, okay? We're going to need them where we're going." Jack put a friendly hand on her shoulder and surreptitiously brushed his thumb across the back of her neck before turning and walking out of her lab. Sam took a deep breath after he left, squashing the heat rising in her face. They'd had a "thing" going for several months, but they still needed to be careful here in the SGC. As far as she knew, only Daniel and Teal'c had any idea what was going on, and for now it needed to stay that way. She felt a little guilty about it, but she was glad Mitchell and Vala would be sitting this one out.

* * *

"Okay, people, here we go." O'Neill bounced on his toes, enjoying the anticipation permeating the gateroom. He had missed this. "Dial it up, chief", he called up to the control room. Jack looked at his team. Carter was fussing with the armband that controlled her cloaking device, Daniel was fidgeting with his pack, and Teal'c simply stood there like he wasn't carrying a bag full of rather heavy explosives, waiting for the mission to begin. "Everybody got everything?" Multiple nods. "You sure we're not forgetting anything?" Multiple headshakes. "Anyone gotta pee before we do this, cuz we're not stopping once we get moving." Multiple eye rolls. "All right, then campers. Let's do this. Activate cloaks." They all pressed the buttons on the armbands and disappeared from view.

"SG-1, you have a go." Landry said via the intercom. "Good luck."

The only evidence of their departure through the gate was several slight ripples in the surface of the event horizon before it shut down.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

SG-1 stepped out of the stargate into a clearing, the bright sunlight of late afternoon illuminating the landscape. At least it was bright from the normal point of view. To Jack and his team, everything appeared slightly purple, and the lack of cover wasn't a problem. They could see the terrain and each other quite clearly, but were invisible to the Ori guards milling about the area, several of whom had their staff weapons pointed at the gate, due to its recent activation. Seeing no activity, however, they dispatched a messenger to report the strange activity and then went on about their business.

Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Daniel moved off to the side of the clearing, walking carefully despite their cloaks. They made their way past the Ori defenses and moved in the general direction of their primary target, which they knew was about 10 klicks north of their current position. Sam lagged a little behind Jack and Teal'c, keeping an eye on Daniel, who was looking around with interest. She couldn't blame him—she was interested too. The landscape was very different from earth, and there appeared to be small pools of a dark viscous liquid scattered about the area. Sam approached one of the smaller pools carefully, noting that the air around it seemed to warm a little. She placed a hand a few inches above the substance and felt heat emanating from it, then studied it for a minute before Jack called to her to keep up.

After about an hour of hiking, O'Neill veered of course and began to head east, looking for a likely spot to set up camp. They hiked for close to an our before he judged they were well out of the enemy's search patterns and called a halt to set up base camp. This op could take a few days, and they couldn't lug around all their provisions while on recon. Everyone dropped their cloaks and got to work.

"So, what's the plan?" Daniel asked as they all sat around a very small campfire that evening.

"Well, I'd say we could go scout the compound tonight, but we don't know the terrain, and flashlights would give us away in a heartbeat." O'Neill answered him.

"Sir," Sam spoke up. "Turn on your cloak."

"Why?"

"Just do it, Jack."

"Okay." O'Neill pressed the button on his wristband and was immediately invisible to the rest of his team. After a moment, he shimmered back into view. "Nice. That may just solve our problem."

"What?" Daniel said, turning on his own cloak. The world immediately turned purple, and every detail of the terrain around him was as visible as if it had been daylight. He pressed the button again, deactivating the device. "Sweet."

Sam glanced at Jack, who was grinning, then at Daniel. "I think you've been hanging around the General too long."

"Why do you say that?"

"You just said sweet." Jack told him, wagging his eyebrows.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Didn't."

"Did."

Sam glanced at Teal'c and rolled her eyes. "Um, guys, could we please get back to figuring out how we're going to pull this off?"

"Right." Jack said. "Well, if these doohickeys can keep us hidden and let us see in the dark, this should be a piece of cake."

"The priors can see right through those cloaks." Said a voice from behind them. Four sets of eyes and three weapons (Daniel couldn't remember where he'd stashed his.) swung around toward the source of the voice. "Do not be afraid. I am not armed" said the man stepping out of the shadows and into the light of the campfire. He was tall, brown haired and brown eyed, with khaki pants and a gleaming white shirt. A strange symbol was embroidered into his shirt, and Daniel looked closely at it, trying to figure out what it was.

Jack stood up, squinting at the man. "And you are…"

But Sam was the one who answered him, her eyes huge with shock. "Joshua" she breathed.

"Joshua." O'Neill said. "And that would be who, exactly?"

Sam stepped toward the newcomer and stretched out her hands to him. "I thought you were a hallucination."

Joshua took Sam's hands, pulling her into a close embrace. "I know you did, Samantha, but as I told you then, I am very real. It is good to speak with you again."

Sam leaned into him for a moment, remembering the strength and peace she had felt the last time they had touched. Nothing had changed, and it was wonderful. The moment was broken when someone behind her cleared his throat. "Uh, Carter, you want to tell us what's goin' on?" Jack said in an overly light tone that suggested his patience was wearing thin.

Sam stepped back and took Jack's hand, silently reassuring him that all was well between them. "General Jack O'Neill, this is Joshua. He's an…old friend."

"Yes, I can see that."

"Joshua," Sam continued, "this is General Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c. My team."

The stranger nodded and smiled to each man as he shook their hands, then turned his attention to Jack and gestured at the campfire.

"May I?" he asked.

Jack glanced at Sam, eyebrows raised, and she nodded at him, indicating the stranger could be trusted.

"Please, join us." Jack said, still too polite.

Once they were all settled, O'Neill spoke up again. "So, Joshua was it? Would you care to explain what you just said about the priors?" Jack didn't trust this guy any further than he could throw him, but the statement had intrigued him.

"The priors can use their staffs to see through your cloaking devices. If they discover you, they will be able to disable the wristbands, and you will be captured."

"Well, that complicates things a bit." Daniel offered.

"How did you come by this information?" Teal'c asked the newcomer.

"I am the one who sent the intelligence information to Earth for this mission."

Jack was surprised. "And why did our superiors feel it prudent to trust you, since they know nothing about you?"

Joshua looked momentarily saddened. "You are correct in your belief that General Landry does not know me. However, Thor does."

"Okay, that's interesting. And how in the world do you know Thor?"

"When Sam was captured by the Goa'uld Sorell, I was the one who told Thor to come to you."

"That was you?" Jack felt his suspicion draining away in light of this new information. Plus, there was just something about this guy that made him want to trust him. "Thor spoke very highly of you." Joshua nodded graciously. "Okay, I'll go with it, for now. But I do have one question."

"Ask."

"Why did you not feel it was necessary to let us know about this little trick of the priors being able to see through our cloaks before we brought them along?"

"The intelligence package was brief by necessity, and the cloaks will serve you well. I knew I would see you once you were here, so it was not necessary to divulge the information at the time."

Sam spoke up. "You said their staffs must be activated to be able to see us. They can't be everywhere at once, right? So all we have to do is to stay out of their way, and don't give them any reason light them up."

"During the daylight hours, that will be sufficient" Joshua said, turning to her. "But at night, there is always one prior who casts his light throughout the compound, allowing the guards to see all that happens around them. This same light will defeat your cloak and reveal you."

"Okay," Jack said. "Uh, thanks for the tip."

"I am glad I could help. One more thing. When you enter the compound, head first toward the building to the east. You will find a scientist in the center of the building who can be trusted to help you accomplish your goals. His name is Michael Raynen." Joshua got up and began to walk back the way he had come. Then he stopped and turned back to them, "Be safe. I will be around if you need me." He disappeared into the brush.

"Wait!" Daniel called. "You can't go walking around by yourself out there. It's too dangerous!"

There was no answer, and Teal'c got up to look around. "He appears to be gone." He said to the others.

"Okay, that's weird." Jack turned and faced Carter. "So how exactly do you know this guy?"

Sam looked uncomfortable. "Joshua said he told Thor that you needed help, right? Well, while I was being…held…by Sorell, he um…" she stopped, her voice failing as memories flooded her.

Jack's mind flashed unintentionally back to a horrifying memory of Sam hanging by her wrists from the ceiling of a harsh blue room, bloody and barely alive from having endured three days of torture. She had almost died, and he still had nightmares about it. He shook himself, banishing the memories, and spoke up, giving her time to recover.

"Hey, I remember his name, now. You mentioned Joshua when you were unconscious. You thanked him for something."

"And you all of a sudden knew the meaning of the symbol that was on that artifact we'd found. It was the same one that was on his shirt tonight." Daniel said.

"Yes." Sam's voice was very quiet and her eyes were very far away, but she was no longer on the verge of tears. "Joshua came to me while I was being held by Sorell. He helped me get through it with my sanity intact. He gave me strength and helped me look through the Goa'uld's deception."

"What deception was that?" Teal'c voice rumbled through her memories.

Sam took a deep breath, trying not to start shaking. "Sorell showed me the three of you, hanging from shackles like I was, but you were all dead."

Daniel moved closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh my god, Sam. We never heard that part."

"That's because I never told you. Anyway, Joshua helped me see that there were small discrepancies that no one would notice except someone who knew you all as well as I do. Because of him, I was able to look closely. If he hadn't, I don't think I…" Sam stopped talking, struggling not to break down. Those memories still haunted her from time to time, and only when she remembered the presence of Joshua was she able to keep them from overwhelming her.

Jack put an arm around her, and pulled her close. "It's all right, Sam. You got through it and that's what matters."

She turned to him, gripping his arm. "But that's the point, Jack. I wouldn't have gotten through it if it weren't for him. I was on the brink of breaking when he showed up. I trusted him then and he didn't let me down. I think we need to trust him."

Jack thought for a moment, studying her face. "Okay. We'll take him at his word the moment and wait until morning to move out."

"And what of this scientist he wishes for us to meet?" Teal'c asked him.

Jack looked at Sam again. "Yeah. We'll find him. For now, we all need to get some sleep."

"I'll take first watch, sir." Carter looked at him. "I don't think I could sleep right now, anyway."

"Alrighty, then. Wake me in four hours."

"Yes, sir." Sam said quietly.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, and, seeing that their companions were busy with their sleeping bags, put his arms around her, holding her close. Sam appreciated the warmth and love that emanated from him and was a little disappointed when he disengaged and turned to see to his own sleeping arrangements.

* * *

Sam sat awake in the darkness, listening to the sounds of the men sleeping around her. She looked at each of them in turn, studying their faces in the firelight and she smiled slightly. They were each so important to her in different ways, and she loved them all dearly. She sat looking up at the stars through the tree she was leaning against, thinking about Joshua and what he had told them. She trusted him implicitly, not just for what he had done for her in the past, but just because her gut told her to. That didn't happen very often, and she trusted the instinct.

"Samantha." Sam jerked out of her reverie at the sound of her name. It had come from the side of the campsite where Joshua had left earlier. Sure enough, he came walking toward her out of the darkness, and she got up to meet him.

"Joshua. What are you doing back here?"

"I thought you might need to talk."

Sam looked at her companions, afraid of disturbing their rest.

Joshua followed her gaze, "Do not worry. We will not wake them."

She looked back at him, into the beautiful eyes that she remembered so well. "I'm glad you're here."

"I have missed speaking with you, Samantha."

"I'm sorry. I guess I kind of talked myself into the idea that you were a hallucination brought on by everything I'd gone through. Now that I think about it again, it's a pretty ridiculous notion, but I…"

"It's alright, Sam. I understand. The feelings you were dealing with were pretty foreign to you, and they can be very hard to face once you're back in familiar territory."

They sat in silence for a time before Sam spoke up again. "Joshua, if I may ask, why are you here? Why did you choose this mission out of all the ones we've been on since you and I met?"

Joshua sat back on his hands and stretched his legs out toward the fire. "This mission is very important to your fight against the Ori. A fight you and I share."

"We do?"

"Yes. I have been fighting the Ori since their inception, thousands of years ago."

"You have?" Sam was surprised. "Well not that I disagree with you, but why? You don't seem the type to do battle with anyone."

"There is a time for everything, Sam. This is a time for war. Soon, the time for peace will come, but until then, I must help you and your kind resist the Ori.

"Can you tell me anything about them that we don't already know?"

"I can tell you that they are not better or higher than your people. They are simply different. Their knowledge and power do not make them more significant, nor are they more important. But they believe that they are. I can also tell you that they want the worship of your people and everyone else not only to gain power, but also to steal the free will of those they subjugate, thereby ensuring that their followers no longer have the option of seeking the truth."

"And the truth would be…?"

"That the Ori are not gods, among other things. And the fact that they owe allegiance to some who are even more advanced than they."

"What??" This was new. Sam couldn't imagine who the Ori would be subservient to.

"It is the masters of the Ori who are the real threat to you and your kind." Joshua continued. "They work in shadow and secrecy, hiding behind lies and facades."

"And they're more powerful than the Ori? How in the world are we supposed to fight them?" Sam was getting frustrated. Would this war never end?

"You do not need to concern yourself with it. I will deal with them when the time comes."

Sam looked into Joshua's eyes and saw fire and determination there. She shivered a little, not in fear, but in the knowledge that this was not a man to be trifled with. She almost felt sorry for these beings. Almost. "So do the Ancients also answer to this…uh…higher power?"

"Not directly, but their choice to remain aloof from the conflict amounts to the same thing. The masters of the Ori are my enemies, and those who choose to remain neutral I must also count as my enemies. The ancients will be dealt with, as well." He looked at her again. "As I said, they are not something you need to concern yourself with."

Joshua sat a moment longer, then stood up, offering Sam a hand. She took it, standing up beside him. "Do you have to go?" she asked.

He smiled that smile that melted her fears to nothing and stroked her cheek. "Child, I will never leave you, but you must rest. See? Jack is waking to relieve you of your watch. Remember, all you need to do is call, and I will show myself."

Sam turned to glance at Jack, who was indeed beginning to stir, then turned back to Joshua. She blinked. He was gone.

"Sam?" Jack walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said, turning in his arms so he could kissed her lightly. "I'm fine."

Jack looked into her eyes, studying her for signs of unease. He found only peace and contentment and he kissed her, harder than before, wanting to share in her certainty.

Sam's breathing quickened and she deepened the kiss, savoring the stolen moment. It didn't last long.

"Um, could you two keep it down?" Daniel mumbled from inside his sleeping bag. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Daniel," Jack growled against Sam's lips as she started to giggle, "has anyone ever told you that your timing absolutely sucks?"

"I do believe that has been said before, O'Neill" Teal'c rumbled from his sleeping bag. "But in this case, Daniel Jackson is correct. Your adenoid gaming is causing a great deal of noise."

Jack choked and stared at his large friend, "What??" he spluttered as Sam cracked up beside him.

"Yes. Is that not the correct reference? I just read it recently in an intriguing book called…"

"Teal'c, the term is 'tonsil hockey, and yes, it was totally appropriate." Daniel cut in quickly.

"Goodnight." Sam said, still chuckling as she snuggled into Jack's sleeping bag. It was still warm from his body heat, and it smelled like him. She was asleep almost immediately, unaware that Jack had taken up a watch position right next to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning dawned gray and overcast, so the team covered the gear they wouldn't be carrying with them under a camouflage tarp before stashing it behind a convenient bush. "Cloaks on, everybody. Let's get moving." Jack said as he shimmered out of view. Everyone else followed his example and they set out toward the shipyard. Along the way, Sam told the guys of her nighttime conversation with Joshua. All expressed concern over the revelation that the Ori actually answered to someone, and Sam quickly explained what Joshua had said about not needing to worry about these new …beings… and that he would take care of them.

"Well that's something." Daniel said. Jack just grunted.

After an hour of hiking, the foursome reached the top of a rocky outcropping and stood looking at the valley spread below them, complete with a large number of small goo pools and crevices belching some kind of alien steam. Not to mention the sprawling shipyard that was arranged in a rough circle in the center of the depression. A city lay less than a mile beyond the boundries of the Ori compound.

"Wow." Daniel whistled. "You've gotta hand it to them. These people know how to go big."

"The only thing I'd like to hand them are their collective asses." Jack growled. "Let's go find this Raynen guy."

They all left their vantage point and started down the hill toward the site, taking care to not disturb too much ground, since the closer they got, the more bad guys were milling around. SG-1 was cloaked, but they still disturbed whatever they brushed against, so they went carefully, staying on the perimeter, making their way to the back entrance of the compound's easternmost structure. Traffic was much lighter here, and they were able to quietly and efficiently take out the few guards that stood at the entrance. Finally reaching the door, the team took up defensive positions on either side while Jack pushed it open. Meeting no resistance, they slipped inside. It was dim, lit only with the eerie blue lighting that trademarked the Ori.

"This way." O'Neill whispered, turning to his right and leading his team down a long corridor. They stuck to the walls, turning left then right, then right again, moving deeper into the building. After one more left, the team reached a doorway inscribed with something Ori-ish, Jack supposed. "Daniel?"

"It says 'Lab', I think." Daniel whispered back.

"Well, that's original." Sam whispered to Teal'c, who was closest to her.

"Indeed", was the inevitable reply. Sam grinned at him. She had mouthed the word at the same time he'd said it.

"Here we go, boys and girls." Jack waved his hand over the glowing panel to the side of the door and waited. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. "Okay, I guess it's locked. Carter, you wanna see if you can hotwire this thing?"

"Uh Jack," Daniel said.

"Yes Daniel?"

"You might want to try shutting off your cloak."

"Why?"

"Because you're out of phase, remember? The panel can't detect you while you're out of phase."

Jack turned to Sam, who had already decloaked. "Is that true?"

"Yes, sir." She was trying really hard not to smile, and was failing miserably. Jack scowled at her, but as he was still cloaked, and she was not, she didn't see it.

Okay, fine. Cloaks off." Jack pressed the button on his armband, then put his hand out and waved it over the glowing panel to the side of the door, which slid open to reveal a slender man of average height in a blue tunic decorated in silver with the Ori symbol. "Michael Raynen, I presume?" O'Neill said, training his weapon on the man.

"Yes, yes. You must be the ones Joshua told me about. I'm so glad you made it in here. Did you encounter much resistance?"

"No," Jack said. "Just a couple of goons outside. It seems to be fairly deserted in here."

"Yes, well, this is a somewhat remote section of the compound. I'm surprised there were any guards at all."

"Hmm… yes. Dr. Raynen, this is my team…" Jack began, but the scientist interrupted him.

"Yes! Joshua has told me all about you." They all raised their eyebrows at this, but allowed him to continue. "General Jack O'Neill, tactics and weapons expert and leader of this team. Dr. Daniel Jackson, expert in all things cultural and mythological, and I am told, a very talented linguist." Daniel nodded, looking bemused. "Teal'c, the formidable Jaffa warrior who turned against the ones who called themselves gods, and worked tirelessly to free his people." Raynen bowed to him respectfully. "I am honored to meet all of you." Now he turned to Carter. "And Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Expert in wormholes and astrophysics along with a number of other things, I believe. I am deeply honored to meet you and I look forward to working with you on this project."

"Whoa there, buddy." Jack said before Sam could respond. "We were told to meet up with you and make arrangements on how best to blow this joint, but this is going to be very dangerous."

"Oh, I assure you, General, I can take care of myself. You will not need to protect me. Now, Col. Carter…"

"Please, call me Samantha." Carter said quickly. Michael smiled at her. "All right, Samantha. Shall we?" Raynen held out an arm to the console behind him, and she followed him over. In less than a minute, the two scientists were deeply engrossed in technical data, talking a mile a minute.

Jack looked at them bemusedly for a moment before sauntering up behind Sam and looking over her shoulder. He didn't have a clue what they were talking about, but he figured it might be important. Sam sensed his presence beside her and favored him with a bright smile before turning back to the diagram on the display. An hour later, O'Neill had wandered away, and was pacing the room and checking his watch. Daniel and Teal'c stood quietly, waiting for Sam to tell them what they were going to be doing.

"Okay, guys. Here's the plan." Carter straightened up and turned to face her team, spreading a large blueprint out on the table as she did so. "According to Dr. Raynen, there are five separate complexes in the compound. Four of the complexes house the ships being constructed, and the fifth is the control area for the whole thing. Eliminating the complexes one at a time will be tricky at best, impossible at worst."

"We've done both in the past without too much trouble." O'Neill said.

"Yes, sir, but in this case, there may be a way to take them all out at once." Sam looked down at the plans in front of her and pointed to the center. "One of the reasons the Ori chose this planet is because of this."

"And that is…" Daniel said.

"An underground liquid naquadah deposit. A big one. Sitting directly below our position."

"Whoa." Jack said, suddenly feeling the need to walk softly lest the vibrations of his footsteps set something off and kill them all.

"Yeah. It's evidently fairly well insulated, since the city bordering this area is several hundred years old and has never seen an explosion emanating from here."

"The Ori use the energy of the liquid naquadah to power this entire facility." Raynen spoke up, "If we can find a way to neutralize that energy source, the construction will come to a halt, and the Ori will be forced to find another place to build."

"Which we don't want them to do, right?" Daniel asked. "I mean, shouldn't we cause as much damage as possible to keep them from rebuilding somewhere else?"

"I think what Daniel is saying is that he wants to blow some stuff up before we go." O'Neill said, smiling broadly.

"Uh, what? No, that's not what I …."

"It's okay, Daniel, I understand completely." Jack grinned at him, knowing full well that Daniel would keep spluttering.

"Um, guys?" Sam said glancing at Teal'c and rolling her eyes. "We don't have a lot of time, here."

"Right, Carter. Neutralize power source, blow stuff up. Got it. When do we leave?"

"There's a little more to it than that, sir. The naquadah in the pool below us is extremely volatile. We can't just go around creating huge explosions without risking setting off the naquadah as well. If the heat from the surface were to reach the mineral, the whole thing could go."

"And it would take the entire planet with it." Daniel said quietly.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that idea's out." Jack mumbled, thinking hard.

"Not necessarily, sir." Sam said, falling back into her old habit. "If we can find a way to neutralize the naquadah first, then we can blow the complex with little to no residual damage."

"We are quite close to the city, Colonel Carter." Teal'c put in. "Would not an explosion of any significance pose a major threat to the people of this world?"

"Leave that little problem to me." Raynen said.

"What are you gonna do?" O'Neill asked.

"I will be able to shield the city."

"That's going to have to be a pretty substantial shield, Michael." Sam said. "Are you sure you'll be able set it up in time?"

Raynen smiled at her. "Trust me. It will not be a problem. For now, however, it would be best if you were to leave here and look around the complex. Be sure to avoid the priors at all costs as they will be able to see through your cloaks."

* * *

"All right, campers," Jack said once they were outside and cloaked once more, "Time to check out the neighborhood. Sam, Teal'c, why don't you head around the north side and see what you can find. Daniel and I will ring around the south side and we'll meet out west in two hours. If we have time, we can double back through the middle and see if there's anything we've missed."

They all nodded at him and set off, Sam following Teal'c to the north side of the compound. They moved quickly, keeping a wary eye out for priors and the bright white lights that could prove their undoing.

"Colonel Carter." Teal'c soft warning brought Carter from her study of the black liquid on the ground. She looked up at him then followed his gaze around the corner of a building they were passing. Looming in front of them was a partially constructed Ori vessel, workers and guards swarming over it like bees.

"Okay." Carter said. "We need to figure out where that monster's Achilles' heel is."

"Achilles heel?" Teal'c asked her.

"Sorry. A euphemism for a weakness."

"I see. Then you are correct. Shall we?"

The two set off in the direction of the nearer ship, careful to stay away from the large knots of Ori thugs running around. They appeared to be guarding and "encouraging" the slaves who labored on the massive construction project. Teal'c kept his eyes open for extra security that might be stationed around a more sensitive area. He found what he was looking for toward the front of the ship, in an area that looked like it had been completed early on, before any of the others had even begun. He touched Sam's sleeve and pointed.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"It could possibly be the foot you were speaking of. It is heavily guarded."

"Heel, Teal'c," Sam smiled. "Heel. Not foot. But you may be right. Let's go take a look."

They made their way toward the front of the ship, weapons at the ready, knowing that a prior could walk into view at any moment. Their caution was rewarded when Teal'c put a hand out, stopping Sam where she was. She looked around the Jaffa's large frame to see an Ori prior come walking out of the section of the ship they were headed for. The two waited for the prior to pass before resuming their course. They skirted the forward guards and slipped carefully between the two standing to either side of the entrance to the ship. Once inside, they headed toward the forward most section, coming up against a huge door, obviously made of wood and engraved with symbols of all kinds.

"It's beautiful." Sam breathed, knowing the cloak would mask her voice to all but Teal'c.

"Indeed. Let us see what this beauty conceals." Remembering O'Neill's failed attempt to open the door to Raynen's lab, Teal'c looked quickly around him to be sure they were alone, then deactivated his cloak. He waved his hand over the sensor in the wall, then quickly shimmered out of view again. The door slid open, and Teal'c slipped inside, followed closely by Carter. The door closed behind them, and the two found themselves in a beautifully appointed room, with a view out the front windows of the ship. They began looking around, searching for a console or panel they could access. Sam moved to the front of the room and looked out the window, observing the slaves that swarmed over most of the compound. A blinking light caught her attention, and she quickly stooped down to examine it. The tiny light appeared to be the indicator of a panel hidden within the wall, and she quickly dug her fingers into the sides and began to pry it out. "Teal'c" she called quietly. He was at her side in a moment, helping her to pull the plate out. It finally came loose, and they left it on the floor while Sam began to study the circuits beneath it.

"Holy Hannah" She whispered.

"What is it?" Teal'c asked her.

"Well, I was able to get a look at some schematics that Michael had in his lab, and although I certainly didn't have time to study them properly, I did notice one significant thing."

"And that is?"

"I think we're in the Orisi's quarters."

Teal'c looked at her, alarmed, which is to say, he quirked an eyebrow at her and frowned a bit, "Is the Orisi here, Colonel Carter?"

"Not necessarily. Evidently the Orisi's quarters are built into every ship so that she always has a place to do whatever it is that she actually does."

"And how does this information help us?"

"Look at this." Sam pointed to the control panel in front of them. "I think this is the circuit that leads to the Orisi's personal computer. According to the schematics I saw, she is able to control every system of the ship from here. If I can access the database, I should be able to figure out where the best places to set charges would be." She dug around in her bag for a moment, then pulled out her laptop. "I'm going to have to turn my cloak off. Cover me, would you?" Setting her computer on the floor, Sam pressed the button on her armband, then quickly set to work. Teal'c got up from beside her and continued his search of the room, staying cloaked and keeping his weapon ready.

After a few moments, Sam turned around. "I've got it. Let's go." She packed up her laptop and was about to turn on her cloak when she heard the door to the room open, and saw a prior walk in. Sam slapped her armband and shimmered out of view, but the prior had glimpsed her, and immediately activated his staff, casting a glaring white light throughout the room. The guards surrounding the prior saw Carter's form as a silhouette against the light and immediately started shooting. Sam dove behind a console, but not before one Ori staff blast caught her in the thigh, and another in the shoulder. She cried out in pain before crashing into the floor.

"Cease fire!" The prior called, and the shooting stopped. He took a step closer to her. "Show yourself, or I will order them to kill you."

Clenching her teeth against the fire raging through her leg and shoulder, Sam decloaked, and deliberately avoided looking around the room. _Where was Teal'c?_ Sam hoped he had gotten away, but knew he would never leave her behind. She just had to hold on until he could get to her. She kept her attention on the prior, who was now looming over her.

"It seems," the prior said, "that you need to be taught a lesson concerning the power of the Ori." He sneered at her as one of the guards jammed a fist into her head, knocking her cold.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jack and Daniel crouched behind a stack of crates at the west end of the shipyard, waiting for Teal'c and Sam to join them. They were overdue, but not by much, so O'Neill wasn't worried—yet. He and Daniel rested comfortably, scanning the surrounding area for signs of their friends.

"Jack."

"Daniel?"

"Look up there." Jack looked up to where Daniel was pointing and saw a prior and several guards quickly climbing the steep slope that ran along the southern boarder of the shipyard.

"Now what are they up to?" Jack mumbled, squinting at the rapidly retreating figures. "Well, whatever it is, we need to wait for Sam and Teal'c to show up before we go check it out. But as soon as they get here, we go see what those goons are finding so interesting."

"I'm more worried about the fact that one of those ships is awfully close to being finished." Daniel said. "I don't know how much time we're going to have before it's ready to be launched."

"Yeah, I know." Jack said. "Because a timeline is just what we needed right now." He locked eyes with Daniel and they sighed in unison. Nothing was ever as easy as it should be.

* * *

Teal'c was worried. He had been searching for over an hour, and hadn't been able to find Carter anywhere. He had seen her get hit by two staff blasts, but didn't know where she had been wounded. She could very easily be dead, in which case he would never find her. The Jaffa had followed the guards carrying Carter out of the Orisi's quarters, but he'd had to duck into an alcove to avoid physical contact with another prior and his large entourage who had come from the opposite direction. Teal'c had lost the group after that, and he was now making his way into the bowels of the ship, hoping that was where the Ori kept their prisoners. Deeper and deeper he went, down corridor after corridor. It was hard to imagine the ship could possibly be this big—and it wasn't even finished yet. Finally, Teal'c reached what he thought was the bottom level, and he began to look for a door that looked like it held a cell. Seeing a likely hallway with two guards at the end of it, Teal'c started down, only to freeze at the sound of voices. Out of habit, Teal'c moved out of the open and into a convenient corridor before stopping to listen.

"Now, Colonel Carter," Teal'c recognized the voice of the prior who had taken Sam, "you will see that the Ori are not without mercy."

"Get away from me. I don't need your kind of help." Teal'c could hear Sam's voice, angry, but weak. He knew she must be in a lot of pain, and he listened harder, knowing that was all he could do until the prior left.

"Come, come my dear. We all need help at some point. Let me show you what the Ori are capable of."

"I already know what they're…" Sam started, but then stopped and Teal'c saw the harsh white light that signified a prior was using his staff.

"Stop!" he heard Sam yell. "Leave me alone!"

The light faded. "There. Your wounds are healed. I will leave you now to think about the gift the Ori have given you. Perhaps in time you will come to accept them as the gods they are."

"Go to hell." Teal'c was relieved that Carter's voice seemed stronger, but it was still not as strong as it should have been if she had been healed.

"I will give you until morning to decide." The prior turned in the doorway, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He moved past Teal'c's hiding place, and down the hallway out of sight.

Teal'c glanced around the corner and saw the two Ori guards still standing outside the door leading to Sam's cell. Glancing the other way again to make sure the prior was indeed gone, Teal'c walked toward the guards, knowing they couldn't see him because of his cloak. They were both down before they knew what hit them. Teal deactivated his cloak and waved a hand over the sensor, opening the door. Carter was inside, lying on a slab of concrete, her face turned toward the wall. "Colonel Carter."

Sam whipped her head around. "Teal'c! Thank god you found me! That damn prior was just in here…"

"I heard everything, Samantha. Are you well? Did he injure you?"

Carter sat up, wincing a little, and putting a hand to her stomach. "I'm fine, Teal'c. Let's just get out of here, okay?"

"Samantha, I must be sure you are not injured, and you are obviously in some discomfort. Did the prior's healing not work on you?"

"I don't know. About fifteen minutes ago, a different prior was using his staff to try and extract information straight out of my brain. That was… uncomfortable to say the least." She glanced up at him before returning her gaze to the floor, "I don't think he got any further than my name and serial number, though, because he left in a huff, and the guy you saw came in. I think they may be doing some version of good cop bad cop, because this one didn't threaten me or anything. He just offered to heal my wounds and gave me the usual 'Ori are gods' routine."

"And now?" Teal'c prodded. He was concerned at the grayness of her skin and reached out to feel her forehead. She was warmer than he liked, but he said nothing.

"Well, I'm not bleeding anymore, so that's something." Sam answered, checking her shoulder and leg where she'd been hit. "The wounds are closed, but they still hurt like hell." She put her feet on the floor, and stood gingerly, then almost immediately her knees buckled. Teal'c caught her before she fell, and lowered her to the floor. "Samantha! What is wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm dizzy and – you may need to move, Teal'c because I really think I'm gonna vomit."

"Lie down. It may help."

Quickly, Sam rolled down to her back and put her hands on her head. "Yeah, better. Thanks, T." She laid there for a time, taking deep breaths, trying to regain control of her head and stomach. After a minute, the nausea receded and she was able to sit up again. She looked up at her Jaffa friend. "Getting out of here may be harder than getting in."

"Oh?"

"I've lost my armband." Sam showed him her arm, which was indeed bare.

"Indeed. I noticed as soon as I entered. If need be, I can carry you on my back. The field should extend to encompass you as well."

"Like hell you will." Sam told him, indignant. "There is no way you're going to be able to carry me and run at the same time. It would be better if you headed back to camp and picked up one of the spares we brought with us."

Teal'c looked deeply into her eyes. "I will not leave you, Samantha."

Sam scowled at him, pride warring with the knowledge of what needed to be done. "Fine. But if you ever tell Jack or Daniel about this…"

"Do not worry. They will never know." He smiled at her, relieved at her capitulation. And a little worried, as well. Samantha Carter at full strength would categorically refuse to be carried, no matter what the circumstances. "Can you stand?" he stood up and reached a hand down to help her. She took it and hauled herself upright, where she stood swaying for a minute. Her face paled alarmingly, but she managed to stay on her feet, and shook off Teal'c steadying hand.

"Let's go. But you're putting me down as soon as we're clear of this place."

"Agreed." Teal'c knelt down and Sam clambered awkwardly onto his back.

Standing, Teal'c slapped the button on his wrist and walked quickly out of the room, retracing his steps back the way he had come. After a time, his pace slowed, and Carter glanced at him from her perch.

"Teal'c?"

"I am unsure as to which way to proceed" he said, looking up and down the corridor he was facing.

"You're kidding. You mean we're lost? On an Ori ship?"

"You're not lost" said a voice behind them. "You're just a bit turned around." Teal'c turned slowly, and he an Carter saw Michael Raynen standing there, calm as could be.

"Michael?" Sam said. "How are you able to see us?"

"If you'll follow me, I'll explain on the way."

Teal'c frowned at him. "That direction will take us back to the detention area." He said suspiciously.

"No, my friend, it will not. These corridors are created to confuse an invading army, and if you continue in the direction you are going, you will run into a very angry prior who has already discovered your escape."

Teal'c thought for a moment, then turned his head toward Carter, silently asking her opinion with an arched brow.

Sam felt the movement even with her eyes closed, but she kept her head down, trying to minimize the dizziness that threatened to send her into blackness. "I'm not sure we have much of a choice, Teal'c. And he did help us before."

"Indeed." he turned back to Michael. "Very well, we will follow." They started off, Teal'c and Sam following the scientists' retreating back. "Please explain how you were able to see through our cloaks, Michael Raynen." Teal'c said, staring hard at him as they walked.

"It is hard to explain."

"Try." Teal'c voice began to betray some hint of anger, and his steps slowed.

Raynen glanced back and he sighed slightly. "I can see you because I am not human. My kind are able to see all dimensions and planes of existence simultaneously. I see you slightly differently than if you were not cloaked, but I can see you, nonetheless. It is one of the things that makes us valuable to Joshua."

"You can see every dimension at once?" Sam roused a bit, curious at this new piece of information. "How can you function with all that information coming at you at once?"

"It is similar to the sight and sound senses in humans. You are able to filter out what you don't need and focus on what you do. It is the same with us. We are able to filter massive amounts of information and focus on what is needed at that time."

"Do all of your kind serve Joshua?" Teal'c asked.

"Most of us. About a third do not. Ah, here we are." The trio stepped off the ship and into bright sunlight.

Sam lifted her head briefly, then quickly put it back down. "Okay, Teal'c, head west. The guys should be waiting for us. But remember to put me down before we get there. My legs are falling asleep."

Teal'c smiled a little at her excuse, but turned to his right and began walking west. Suddenly he stopped, looking around. "Where is Michael Raynen?"

"Sam looked around too. "I don't know. He was just here. Joshua did the same thing back at the camp. He just disappeared."

Teal started walking again. "Perhaps he is able to cloak himself as well."

"Maybe." Sam was doubtful, but they had other things to think about at the moment, so she tucked it into the back of her mind to percolate and lifted her head in order to look for Jack and Daniel. Her line of sight was slightly above Teal'c's so she saw them first. "There they are, Teal'c. Put me down, please."

"If I put you down, you will become visible, and there are Ori around. I would advise…"

"Fine, then put me over there behind those crates, go get the others and bring them over."

"Very well." Teal'c had already thought of this, but it was rare to hear genuine panic in Carter's voice, and in this case, it amused him greatly. He moved behind the crates and gently set her on her feet, holding her close to keep her in the field. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Go get the others, okay?" Sam sat down, rather quickly, Teal'c thought, and put her head in her hands. The Jaffa moved away from her and walked the last few yards to where Jack and Daniel were lounging by some crates of their own.

Sam sat against the crate, her head down, her breathing ragged. She had put on a brave soldier face for Teal,c but she could feel herself weakening even as she rested. Something was happening to her. Something the prior had done. Then the answer came to her, and it intensified the roiling of her stomach even as she thought of it. Prior Plague. That damn fool idiot had infected her with the Prior Plague. Sam forced herself to stay calm, though the urge to vomit was returning with a vengance, and waited for her friends to come for her.

Jack saw Teal'c first. "Teal'c! Where's Carter?"

"She is there" he said, pointing to her hiding spot.

"Why is she over there, and not with you?" Daniel asked as they moved toward her.

"Colonel Carter was seriously wounded in an encounter with the Ori, and was briefly captured. The Ori healed her wounds, but she does not appear well. Her cloaking device was taken."

Jack was now running, and reached her within a few seconds. "Sam?"

She didn't answer, just sat with her knees up and her head in her hands. She looked exhausted and pale. "Sam?" Jack tried again, reaching out to touch her. Her head jerked up, and she looked around wildly.

"Jack?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Jack muttered. He slapped his armband and shimmered into view in front of Sam, who promptly threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and activated his cloak again. "Thank god you're alright" he whispered into her hair. "Can you walk?"

"She will not be cloaked, O'Neill." Teal'c said..

"Wait a minute." Daniel looked at Sam. "How did you get out here if you don't have your cloak?"

She gave him a 'drop it' look, and moved to stand up. Jack gave her a hand, then steadied her when she swayed.

"Let's get you back to camp." Jack said, hefting her into his arms. She protested, but only a little, which concerned him, and they all started walking quickly back toward the south road that would lead them out of the complex.

Sam allowed herself to be carried by Jack, but only barely. Inside she was berating herself for being so…dependant on someone for something as simple as walking. But the truth was, she really didn't have a choice. Besides not having a cloak of her own, she was so sick and dizzy that she didn't think she would be able to move quickly enough to keep up with the others, and speed was important until they were under cover of the trees. Her leg and shoulder still throbbed angrily and every step Jack took jarred her head until it buzzed with pain. She closed her eyes, concentrating on not vomiting all over him, and waited impatiently until they were off the beaten path. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Jack, put me down, please." He complied, putting her on her feet and watching her carefully before deactivating his cloak. Teal'c and Daniel followed suit.

"Sam, we need to keep moving" he reminded her gently.

"I know, but I need to walk for a while. We're out of visual range, and I'm tired of being carted around like a sack of flour." She eyed Jack critically through the haze surrounding her brain, noting the sweat dotting his face and his not-so-subtle attempts to stretch his back and legs. "Not to mention, I think you'll permanently disable yourself if you keep carrying me. Sir" she added with a small smile.

"Are you saying I'm getting old?" Jack asked indignantly, relieved she seemed to be up to a little humor.

"Wouldn't dream of it, but we should go."

Jack nodded at Teal'c to take point, and they moved off toward their little base. He kept a close eye on Carter, watching her for signs of fatigue. She moved carefully, but didn't slow down. She knew the guys were setting a fairly slow pace, for which she was grateful. Walking hurt worse than being carried, but at least she was under her own power again, though she kept a hand on Jack's arm to steady her still dizzy brain. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to block out the aches and pains coursing through her body.

Finally, they reached their camp, and Jack moved in to quickly pull her sleeping bag out and arrange it close to where the fire would be built. As soon as it was laid out, Sam collapsed onto it and fell asleep. Jack looked at her, worried.

"What happened out there, Teal'c?"

"We were circling the compound when we noticed an area of one of the ships was more heavily guarded than the others. Colonel Carter suggested we investigate. Once inside, we were able to ascertain that we were in the quarters of the Orisi, and that there was a way to access every system on the ship from that area. Colonel Carter decloaked and set up her computer to find a weak point on the ship. Soon after, a prior entered the room with several guards. Colonel Carter attempted to cloak, but the prior had already seen her and used his staff to reveal her position to the rest of the Ori." Teal'c paused here, looking angry and guilty. "A firefight ensued, and she was shot in the leg and the shoulder." He looked down at the sleeping woman. "There and there, where the holes in her clothing are."

Jack moved toward over to Sam and looked at the skin beneath. It looked smooth and whole, but it felt hot to him when he touched it. "She looks okay to me. Where are the wounds?"

"She was healed by a prior."

Jack looked up at Teal'c, who was obviously blaming himself for Carter's condition. "It wasn't your fault Teal'c. You can't blame yourself."

Teal'c continued as if Jack hadn't spoken. "I had concealed myself around a corner, so the prior's men did not see me. I saw Colonel Carter hit by the staff blasts, and knew that if I was to help her, I must not reveal myself."

He turned and began to pace around the edge of the camp. He was angry at himself for letting her down like this. He was supposed to protect her, and he had stood by and done nothing while she was picked up like a dog and dragged away. But at the time, he'd had no choice. He stopped and faced Jack again.

"It took me over an hour to find her. I arrived just in time to overhear the prior who had healed her wounds give her the usual ultimatum concerning her conversion. She was quite vehement in her refusal." He smiled a little at the memory before continuing.

"When I got to her, she was as you see her now, resting, but ill, and obviously still in pain. She informed me that a different prior had attempted to forcibly remove information from her mind."

"Did he succeed?" Daniel asked quietly.

"I do not believe so. Samantha is a very strong woman."

"Yes, she is." Jack said. "Anything else?"

"There was one more thing. As we attempted to leave, we became lost in the bowels of the ship where Michael Raynen found us and led us to the outside. After that, we came straight to you."

"You got lost?" Daniel asked, surprised. "Teal'c you never get lost!"

"Michael Raynen explained that the corridors of the Ori ships are constructed to confuse and mislead any intruders."

"Well, that's a useful piece of intel." Jack said. He turned to Carter and knelt down beside her, feeling her forehead. "She's really hot. Do we have anything in the medkit we can give her?"

Daniel rummaged around in the pack and brought out ibuprofen and some broad spectrum antibiotics. "These are the best we have, Jack. We had to pack light to leave room for all the explosives."

"Yeah, I know. Listen, guys, we may have to get Sam back to the gate. There's no way she's going to be able…

"No." Sam had awakened, and was looking at them all through eyes bright with pain and fever, but her voice was clear. "It's too dangerous."

"Sam," Jack said to her, smoothing her hair, "you're running a fever, and you're obviously hurting. You need to get back to the SGC."

"There's no way I'm going to let you risk this mission for me. Going back through the gate right now would be suicide, especially now that the Ori have been alerted to our presence. Just give me some meds to keep me going, and I'll be fine." She reached for the pills that Jack was holding and swallowed them down with a swig of Daniel's proffered canteen. Then she laid back down and closed her eyes.

Jack Daniel and Teal'c moved around her quietly, building a small fire against the coming darkness and setting up the beginnings of their meal. When it was ready, Jack woke Sam and helped her sit up to sip some of the soup they had made. She managed to swallow a few mouthfuls before abruptly jumping up and running into the brush to vomit it all back up. When it was done, she sat down hard, shaking and sweating. She knew she was in trouble, but her mind was so fogged by pain and dizziness that she couldn't remember how to get back even the few feet to her pallet. She felt strong arms lift her to her feet and help her lie down on her sleeping bag. She was asleep immediately. Jack made sure she was as comfortable as possible before looking at his companions. "She's getting worse, and we can't do anything about it here. We're going to have to get her back through the gate."

They heard movement in the brush behind him and they all turned quickly to find Joshua striding into the clearing. "Taking her home will not help her." he said to the men looking at him.

Jack glared at him, annoyed at the quiet confidence in the other man's voice. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Joshua looked at Sam, obvious affection in his eyes. "When Ori priors heal the wounds of humans, they only do so superficially. The outer layers look normal and healthy, but inside, she is still wounded. Add to that the illness he bestowed upon her, and…."

"The prior plague." Teal'c said. It was not a question.

"Yes." Joshua looked at Jack. "Are you willing to trust me, General? Will you allow me to heal her?"

Jack considered him carefully, then nodded. "Do it."

Joshua nodded back at him as if he knew how hard this was for the other man, then knelt down beside Sam and took her hand in his. He placed his other hand lightly on her wounded shoulder, then her leg, finally putting both hands briefly on her stomach. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c watched carefully, but saw no signs of anything happening. After only a few moments, Joshua sat back on his heels.

"It is done."

"What? What's done? You didn't do anything." Jack was angry now. His hopes had been lifted, and now this joker was saying he was done? He was moving forward, intending to grab Joshua's collar when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Sam was beginning to stir. Jack turned and dropped to her side.

"Sam? Sam, it's Jack. Are you okay?"

Sam opened her eyes and looked at him. They were clear of pain and sickness, and bright as the morning sun. "Yeah, I'm okay." Then she frowned and looked around. "Why am I okay?."

Jack looked over at Joshua, who was still kneeling beside Carter. "Thank you." He said, and meant it.

Sam picked up on what had happened and looked at Joshua as well. "That's two I owe you. Thank you." She sat up, and looked over at the camp fire. "You guys leave any food for me?"

Daniel smiled and spooned her a bowl of soup, which she dug into immediately. "Well, you certainly seem to be back to normal." he said and looked up at Joshua. "Would you like some?"

Joshua nodded and sat on the ground, crossing his legs beneath him. Accepting the bowl and spoon, he thanked the archaeologist and began to eat.

Jack watched him for a minute before turning to the rest of the group, "Okay, now that another crisis has been averted, what did we learn today boys and girls?"

Daniel spoke up first, directing his words toward Carter and Teal'c, "Well, Jack and I checked out the two ships along our route. One was only about a third of the way done, but the other was much further along."

"How close is it to completion?" Teal'c asked.

"Very." Jack answered him. "Whatever we're going to do, it's gonna have to be done within the next few hours. If even one of those ships is lauched, Earth is in very deep doo-doo."

"Okay, so we need to move faster than we thought." Sam said through a mouthful of food. "I still need to review the data I obtained from the Orisi's quarters, but from just the little I saw I was able to figure out a possible way to blow those ships." She swallowed another bite of soup before continuing. "So now we just have to get into the control tower and figure out how to neutralize the huge naquadah deposit that's sitting under this whole area."

"May I make a suggestion?" Joshua asked.

Jack looked at him, his gaze no longer quite so suspicious, but still careful. "Be my guest."

"Teal'c, may I borrow your zat'ni'katel?" Teal'c glanced at Jack, who nodded for him to hand the weapon over. Joshua took it and pointed it at a blob of the mysterious black ooze which was at a safe distance from the group before firing. The ooze immediately exploded and began burning furiously. Thankfully there was nothing close to it for the sparks to jump to, so the blaze stayed in the small area of the blob. Sam got up and walked as close as she dared, studying the flame, which was bright green.

"It's naquadah, isn't it." Joshua nodded. "It must be bubbling up from the underground source, which means it's a lot closer to the surface than I thought it was. Which means it won't be nearly as hard to get to as it would if it was deeper, but we still have to figure out what needs to be done to reduce or eliminate its effectiveness as a power source. She glanced at Joshua. "I don't suppose you know what that would be, would you?"

Joshua looked back at her, then glanced sideways at Daniel a split second before the latter man spoke, "Um, Sam, would you mind putting that flame out please? Neon green fire is just-- creepy."

Sam turned back to the tiny fire and started kicking dirt onto it to smother the flames. As soon as the dust hit the flame and the liquid it was feeding on, the fire went out as if it had never been.

"Whoa." O'Neill exclaimed, getting up and walking over to stand by Sam, who was now leaning over the blob. "Daniel, could you…" Daniel tossed Jack his flashlight before the sentence was finished, and Jack turned the bright beam onto the dark spot on the ground. Sam waved her hand over it. "It's not hot" she announced. Then she kicked it with a boot. "And it's completely solid."

"You're gonna tell me that the dirt on this planet is a natural retardant to the volatility of liquid naquadah?"

Three sets of eyes swiveled to stare at Jack, who looked back innocently. "What? You think I could spend ten years with Carter and not pick up a few words that consist of more than two syllables? Even I'm not that dense."

Sam laughed and said, "So all we have to do is to get enough of the top soil of the planet into the reservoir underneath, and we can turn the whole thing into a lump of useless residue." She looked at Joshua, who had watched the whole exchange without saying a word. "This might actually work."

"With the help of lots of large explosives, that is." Jack looked at Teal'c. "Let's break 'em out and see what we've got."

While Teal'c recovered his explosives stash from a nearby bush, Joshua rose to take his leave.

"Will we see you again?" Sam asked him, walking over to see him off.

"I am always with you, Samantha." He moved closer to her and took her in his arms, holding her close in the embrace only he could give, then moved back and looked into her eyes. "You will see me when it is necessary, but whether you can or not, I will never leave you."

Jack stepped over to Joshua, and extended his hand. "Thank you for your help."

"You are most welcome." Joshua looked over at Daniel and Teal'c. "All of you." He favored them with one last smile before turning and vanishing into the trees.

Jack, Daniel and Sam sat quietly for a time, absorbing the new revelations of the evening, and watching Teal'c lay out their explosive inventory. When he was finished, Jack went over to sit beside him and the two of them were soon engrossed in weapon and firearm talk.

Daniel soon bored of listening to graphic explanations of how exactly stuff would blow up and went over to join Sam on the other side of their small fire. "How are you doing?" he asked her quietly.

Sam glanced at him before returning her gaze to the fire. "I feel great, actually. A little tired, maybe, but I think that's just because it's getting late. All the pain is completely gone."

"That's pretty amazing. Even the Tok'ra healing devices leave some trace of the underlying injury or disease."

"I know." Sam said thoughtfully. "Joshua is different from anyone I've ever met."

"How?" Daniel asked. "I mean, I know he helped you out while you were prisoner to Sorell, but you seem to trust him even beyond that."

"I can't really explain it, but there's a sense of complete peace when he's around. Like there's nothing he can't handle, and that everything will turn out all right if we just trust him. He just seems to know what needs to be done."

"That's pretty high praise."

"Yeah. But so far, there's been no reason to doubt him."

"True." Daniel fell silent, thinking for a time. He looked up when Jack stood and walked over to join them. "So, what now?" he asked the older man.

"We're done for the night. Tomorrow, we need to see what that prior found so interesting on the ridge earlier today, then we can go check out the control tower. Hopefully we'll be ready to implement whatever plan we come up with within the next 36 hours." Jack squatted next to Sam. "Let's get some sleep. Teal'c has volunteered to take first watch, and we all need the rest."

The others nodded to him and promptly bedded down. Jack laid his sleeping bag next to Sam, and lay down on top of it, facing her. He tenderly put a hand to her face, "How are you holding up?"

Sam smiled that bright sunlight smile at him and said, "I'm fine, Jack. Get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." He kissed her lightly, and closed his eyes. They were asleep in minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The night passed without incident, and O'Neill woke everyone at daybreak. "Time to move out, campers. We've got a lot of ground to cover today, and splitting up is not an option."

Everyone quickly broke camp and stashed their gear as they had done the day before.

"Where to first, Jack?" Daniel asked as they hoisted their packs and started out.

"I want to check out the ridge we noticed yesterday. Something had that prior's knickers in a twist, and I want to find out what it was."

The group retraced their steps back toward the shipyard, but turned west before hitting the trail that led into the compound. O'Neill quickly found the ridge, and they all hurried toward it, protected by their cloaks.

Sam studied the ground as they moved along, noting with interest that it seemed to be getting less and less firm with every step. She slowed and then finally stopped altogether. "Jack."

Her voice stopped the others and they all looked back at her.

"I noticed it too, Carter." Jack said to her. "We need to keep moving for now."

"Indeed." Teal'c put in. "The soft ground may be explained at our destination."

"How do you know?" Daniel asked as they started off again.

Teal'c didn't speak right away, instead climbing the small ridge that barred their path. Once at the top, he stood there, looking down into a shallow valley. "There is your answer, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel scrambled to the top of the ridge and joined his friends in looking down. "Whoa. Is that what I think it is?"

"Naquadah." Carter murmured. "Lots and lots of naquadah." She stared at the level valley below them, the bottom of which barely concealed the huge mineral deposit underneath it. There were numerous bubbling pools dotting the ground. "The crust here must be very thin to allow that much naquadah to escape to the surface."

"Wow." Jack said softly. "Think of the bonfire that would make!"

"Sir, we have got to find a way to neutralize this deposit before we bring explosives anywhere near that shipyard. Igniting this much naquadah would effectively blow the planet apart!"

"I'm aware of that, Carter." He turned to his team. "Ideas, anyone?"

"The condition of the valley may suggest it is an ideal entry point into the main deposit below the surface." Teal'c said. "If we can introduce enough of the soil into this pool, it may cause a chain reaction leading down deep enough to infect the entire supply."

"Or, it could simply solidify the top layer, and we would be effectively cut off from the rest." Daniel said. Teal'c nodded.

"Unless we could make that top layer thick enough so that it would act as a seal against the rest of it." Carter mused, thinking.

"Alright. We need more information. Daniel, you go with Teal'c this time. Carter, stay with me. We'll look around the area for any other options. Meet back here in 30 minutes. We don't have a lot of time."

Murmurs of agreement met this statement, and the group split up, each pair heading in opposite directions. "What's going on in your brain?" Jack asked Sam. She had that thinking hard look on her face, and he wanted to know where her mind was going.

What makes you think anything's going on in there?"

"You're breathing, aren't you?"

Sam smiled at him briefly before her gaze turned inward again. "I'm thinking we may have been on to something back there, but…" she trailed off, still concentrating.

They walked in silence for a while, each looking for something, anything that might give them some idea on how to pull this off. After fifteen minus, Jack turned them back toward the way they had come and they started back, hoping Teal'c and Daniel had had better luck than they'd had.

The others weren't there yet when Jack and Sam reached the meeting point, so they sat down to wait. Both pulled out their water and took long swigs, relaxing a bit in the quiet of the forest. They didn't have to wait long. Movement in the trees soon revealed Teal'c and Daniel running toward them at top speed. The lack of alarm in their expressions told Jack that nothing was wrong, they were just excited about something. "What's up, fellas?" he asked.

Daniel bent over, puffing as he tried to talk, then finally gave up and waved at Teal'c to explain.

Teal'c cracked a slight smile before turning to O'Neill to report. "About half a klick in that direction is a series of caves leading beneath this valley."

"Caves?" Sam asked, surprised. "They must go pretty deep to be able to go under this mess."

"Negative, Colonel Carter. The caves are fairly shallow, but they go on for a long time."

Sam thought for a moment. "Well, I'm no geologist, but we should go take a look, and see if they'll be of any use to us."

O'Neill nodded. "Lead the way, boys."

They reached the caves fairly quickly, and broke out their flashlights before venturing inside. By unspoken agreement, they all decloaked as well just in case someone was hurt and not able to do so later. Sam took point, looking around with interest as they began a gentle descent into the gloom. She ran a finger along the cave wall and abruptly stopped, looking back at the others. "Guys, I think I know what this material is."

"Solidified naquadah." Daniel said. "That's what we thought too, but we wanted to see if you'd come to the same conclusion."

"These caves must be the result of the naquadah above us coming into contact with the topsoil and hardening over a long period of time."

"Well, that confirms our theory about the neutralization of the stuff," Jack said, "but it still doesn't tell us how to get enough dirt into the reservoir to make a difference."

"Yeah, I'm still working on that part." Sam shook her head. "In the interest of time, I think we should go check out the control tower, and see if we can get any ideas from there. On the bright side, that big resevoir above us may not be as much of a threat as we thought. If these caves go beneath it, then it must not be very deep, but other than that, I don't we're going to learn anything else from here."

"Alrighty, let's move out." Jack said.

They had all turned to retrace their steps back toward the entrance of the cave when Teal'c, who was in front, stopped and held up a hand.

"What is it?" Daniel asked him.

"I hear something."

The others strained their ears, but before they heard anything, the ground began to tremble.

"Run!" Sam shouted. "The cave is going to collapse!"

They all took off for the entrance, which was only about 100 meters ahead of them, running as fast as they could. The trembling worsened and Daniel lost his balance, falling to the ground and tripping Sam, who was right behind him. Jack grabbed them both and hauled them upright, pushing them forward at the same time. Finally, they burst out into the sunlight and ran another few yards before stopping and turning back. The cave entrance collapsed with a roar and sent dust flying in all directions.

Sam turned to Jack to get his reaction, but he wasn't beside her. She turned completely around, and when she still didn't see him, she began to panic.

"Oh no."

"Where's Jack?" Daniel asked, lead forming in the pit of his stomach.

They all ran back to the entrance of the cave, which was now completely blocked by large amounts of rock.

Teal'c immediately started tearing at the barrier, hauling huge rocks away with his bare hands.

"Jack!!" Sam cried at the entrance. "Jack, can you hear me?"

"Sam, the radio!" Daniel said to her as he moved to help Teal'c as much as he could.

Sam grabbed her radio out of its pouch and depressed the button that would allow her to send a signal. "Jack, it's Sam. Can you hear me?" Sam waited a moment, then tried again. "Jack, respond!" She looked at the others, despair in her eyes. "He's not answering."

"That could mean anything, Sam. His radio may have been damaged, or he may be unconscious."

Sam nodded, and her training taking over, moved over beside Daniel to help clear the area. They worked in silence for about fifteen minutes, and seemed to be making some headway when their radios crackled and Jack's voice came floating out to them.

"Anybody out there?" his voice was weak, and they could hear him coughing between words.

Sam grabbed her radio again. "Jack. We're here. Are you alright?"

He coughed again, harder this time, then groaned. "I'm alive, but I'm not real sure that's a good thing."

"O'Neill." Teal'c cut in, "how far back from the entrance are you?"

"No idea."

"We need to know in order to figure out the quickest way to get to him before he runs out of air." Daniel said quietly.

Sam nodded. "Jack, I need you to concentrate. How far were you able to get after you helped Daniel and me off the ground?"

"Uhhh, uh, dunno. Tired." His words were starting to slur together, and he was obviously losing consciousness.

"Jack! Jack, you have to stay awake! You may have a concussion, and you need to stay awake! Jack? Jack! Dammit!!" Sam swore, frustrated.

"Well," Daniel said, still pulling rocks off the pile, "he can't be that far in if the radio signals are getting through, right? So all we have to do is keep going."

"Right." Sam said, getting back to work.

* * *

O'Neill groaned into the blackness that had become his world. He had no idea how long he'd been stuck in here, and had no idea if he'd ever get out. He'd already tried moving, and had quickly decided that was a very bad idea when pain overwhelmed him and he'd blacked out. Now he was conscious again, and trying to figure out what had happened. He'd been in the cave, running behind Sam…oh how he loved running behind Sam…no, wait. Focus. Running. Right. Daniel and Sam had fallen and he'd picked them both up off the ground and sent them on their way. He had almost reached the entrance when something had hit him on the head, sending him into nothingness and stranding him…here. Great. Just great.

Without moving his head, Jack groped for his radio. He vaguely remembered talking to Carter before he'd blacked out, but couldn't remember what had been said. "Sam?" he muttered into the radio.

"Jack!" her voice came back to him immediately and he smiled a bit. "Are you okay?"

Jack licked his lips, trying to work up enough moisture in his mouth to form a sentence. "Thirsty."

"I know, Jack. We're working as fast as we can to get you out of there. We don't think you're very far inside the cave, so we should be able to get to you soon. Just hang in there, okay?"

"Yeah. Hanging." he managed before losing consciousness again.

Jack woke up still in darkness. Thirst raged through his body like a living thing, and the air around him was getting thin, making him pant for breath. He fought down rising panic as he remembered where he was and that he was trapped. He took deep breaths, calming himself and telling his brain that his friends were coming, and to just hold on.

Jack closed his eyes, trying to rest, but they snapped open again when he felt something pleasantly cool touch his face. There, kneeling in front of him and glowing softly in the darkness, was Joshua. "Wha.." Jack started.

"It's all right, Jack. You have been injured, but not severely. You will be free soon."

Jack tried to speak, but all that came out was a dry rasp. A cup was lifted to his mouth and he drank reflexively, swallowing down cool clear water. It tasted like heaven, and he was finally able to speak.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" Joshua asked him, smiling a bit. "As I told Samantha, I am always here, whether you can see me or not." Joshua put the cup down that he had been holding, and picked up a white towel. Jack could barely see it by the light that the other man was emanating. He watched as Joshua dipped the small cloth into a bowl of water that had come from somewhere and began to clean the cuts that were on Jack's face. He started to protest, not comfortable with a relative stranger touching him like this, but stopped when he felt the effects of the ministrations. It was like everywhere the cloth touched him, the pain was muted to the point that it became background noise. Joshua dipped the towel again and moved it carefully over Jack's throat, cleaning away the grime and blood that had mixed there. He moved the cloth around the back of Jack's neck, massaging lightly as he did. Jack groaned as tension he never knew existed melted away into nothing. Joshua moved to his arms, using his hands and the cloth to rub away dirt and tension simultaneously. He worked silently, never saying a word, but catching Jack's eye once in a while. What Jack saw there made him wish he never had to look away. There was peace in those eyes. And a love like Jack had never seen. This man, whom he had just met, seemed to care about him more than anyone ever had. Once again, Jack wondered who Joshua really was, but before he could open his mouth to ask, a beam of bright light penetrated the darkness from his right side. He covered his eyes against the glare, and heard a voice calling his name. When he looked back, Joshua was gone.

"Jack! Can you hear us?" Sam called, a little desperately.

"Yeah." Jack said back, and Sam slumped in relief. His voice was stronger than it had been earlier, and he seemed to be lucid.

"Hang on. We're almost there." Daniel and Teal'c joined her at the entrance, tearing at the wall like animals until the opening was just big enough for Sam to wriggle through. She dropped to the floor and went straight to Jack, who was propped up against the wall, looking squintily at her. Sam crouched beside him and began running her hands over his body, checking quickly but carefully for injuries.

"Do you hurt anywhere?" she asked him.

"My head." he said. She ran her fingers through his hair, looking for bumps, or god forbid, cracks in his skull. She found a good sized welt on the back of his scalp, but no sign of blood or other trauma.

"Looks like you cracked it pretty good, but I think you'll be okay. Any nausea or dizziness?"

"A little, but not bad. Let's get out of here, okay?"

Sam nodded at him and looked back at the cave entrance. "Are you guys about ready?" she called to the others.

"Yeah, I think we've got the opening big enough for Jack now. Come on out." Daniel's voice came back to them.

Sam put her arms under Jack's and helped him carefully to his feet. She kept her hands on him once he was up, as he wobbled a little and put a hand on the wall of the cave to steady himself. "Whoa. Would someone mind stopping the floor? I'd like to get off now."

Sam smiled at him and helped him walk carefully to the entrance where Jack climbed the last of the rocks in front of the opening, then climbed out the hole. Sam followed him out, watching him closely. He seemed to be sore, but other than that he was surprisingly fit.

Once he was out into daylight again, Jack sat down and leaned against a large rock, resting and enjoying the brightness. He sensed Daniel kneeling down next to him and felt the younger man's touch on his face and arms.

"Jack, did you clean these cuts while you were in there?" Daniel asked, puzzled.

Sam heard him and came to crouch on Jack's other side. She too inspected the various shallow wounds on his body. "Wow. You did a good job. How'd you manage that if you couldn't see anything?"

"It wasn't me." Jack said softly, not looking at any of them.

"What do you mean it wasn't you?" Daniel asked, looking at him.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Daniel." Jack said, annoyed. "Just let me sit here for a minute, and we can get moving again." Jack jabbed his armband and cloaked, then closed his eyes and tried to rest a little.

Daniel looked at Sam, who shrugged at him, and dropped to the ground, activating his cloak as he did so. Teal'c and Sam followed suit, and for about fifteen minutes, they all just sat resting in the sun, wearied by the past few hours of fear and frantic digging.

Jack thought about what had happened in the cave, puzzled by what possible reasons Joshua could have had to help him out like he did. He obviously possessed a lot of power, so why would he go out of his way just to clean Jack's wounds and give him some water? Jack just didn't get it, and it bothered him.

Finally, Jack opened his eyes, noticing the sun was reaching its zenith. "Ok, rest time is officially over, people. Let's do what we came here to do."

"Are you able to maneuver well enough to continue, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked him.

Jack nodded and stood, watching for signs of dizziness. There were none, and he purposefully started walking toward the shipyards, activating his cloak as he went. He didn't see the look that passed between his friends as they followed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was a relatively short walk to the shipyard from the caves, and they made good time. Jack walked right into the compound on the main road, cloak intact, and made straight for the control tower, the others right behind him. No one spoke, everyone just kept their eyes peeled for priors. Within a matter of minutes, they stopped just short of the guards that stood in front of the control tower. Sam looked at Jack, checking on his well-being, and noticed he seemed to be fine, albeit a bit tired. Sam had shifted her gaze away from him and was scanning the general vicinity when she noticed someone walking quickly in their general direction. It was Michael Raynen. Sam tapped O'Neill on the arm and he nodded. He had seen the scientist too.

Michael approached their general position, obviously intending to go right by and enter the tower. As he passed, he glanced at O'Neill and raised his eyebrows a fraction.

"C'mon" Jack muttered to the others, and followed the other man toward the door.

The Ori on guard recognized Raynen and opened the door for him. Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were hard on his heels and just managed to squeeze in before the door slid shut behind them, leaving them blinking in the sudden dimness.

"Follow me." they heard Raynen mutter, and he moved off quickly down the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Daniel asked him quietly.

Raynen stayed silent for a moment as they passed several troops moving in the opposite direction. Once they passed, he answered Daniel's question. "To the main control room. I want to show you something."

They walked a bit longer and then Raynen stopped in front of a huge door that was covered in huge letters.

"Let me guess," Jack said to Daniel. "Keep out?"

"Essentially." Daniel whispered back. "More like 'restricted area, authorized personnel only."

"Ah. My favorite kind of warning to ignore."

Raynen passed his hand in front of the control panel and the door slid open. They all stepped into an enormous room that looked to be about thirty feet tall. It was circular with catwalks and ladders ringing all sides, with the most interesting thing about the chamber was the massive construction that dominated the very center.

"Holy buckets." Daniel exclaimed softly.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jack asked Sam.

"Well, if you're thinking it's a reactor chamber for the raw naquadah, then yes, it is what you think it is."

"Oh. Yeah. That's exactly what I was thinking."

Sam walked around O'Neill to stand over Michael's shoulder. He had moved up to a console very near the construction and was manipulating the controls on the lit up panel. An Ori guard walked up to him, and Sam backpedaled quickly to stay out of his way.

"What is your business here?" the guard asked Raynen.

"There was a slight malfunction in one of the cooling tanks. I am running a diagnostic to be sure there will not be any problems with the naquadah flow."

The guard looked at him for a moment, but then nodded and turned away, walking back the way he had come. Raynen quirked an eyebrow at Sam from behind the guards back and continued his work. Sam returned to her place beside him and watched as he pulled up the schematics for the machine in front of them.

"This is the main reactor for the naquadah." she said to the rest of them. "It looks like this device is situated over a section of ground that has several natural vents which allow access to the mineral below. Once the naquadah has been processed, the harnessed energy is sent through those conduits," she pointed to the large tubes running across the floor and through walls in all directions, "to the various ship building facilities." she looked at O'Neill, as if expecting him to say something.

"So…" O'Neill prompted her.

"Oh. Well, so a single detonation of sufficient magnitude from this point should trigger a chain reaction that will destroy most of the complex, and certainly all the ships, since the reactor is directly linked to them. But we need to be absolutely sure the naquadah both in the reactor and in the ground below it are completely neutralized or—"

"Or, we blow the entire planet to kingdom come." O'Neill interrupted. "Yeah, I know that part."

"Right."

"So how do we do that?" Daniel asked.

"Perhaps we can eliminate two fowl with a single projectile." Teal'c said, eyebrow cocked.

"That would be two birds with one stone, Teal'c." Jack said, turning to him. "What did you have in mind?"

"Perhaps this facility could be used not only to destroy the ships, but to send enough topsoil into the reservoir below us to solidify the naquadah."

"That goes along with what I was thinking before we went into the caves." Sam said to him. "We really only have to solidify the top few meters of naquadah to render the entire area useless to the Ori, and to neutralize the volatility of the area. The problem is going to be timing, and making sure enough of the soil gets in there."

Raynen, still looking at his panel, cleared his throat slightly, and they all turned to look at him. Jack and Teal'c walked over to stand beside him and look at the panel. Raynen was showing them a map of the valley the shipyard was situated in. It was obviously topographical, but there were several different colors scattered throughout, and the legend was not in English.

"Daniel, can you come translate this writing for me so he doesn't have to talk?" Jack asked. The linguist stepped up and stared at the map for a moment.

"According to the key, all of the green that you see here," Daniel moved his hand over the walls lining the valley on three sides, to the south, east and west, "are covered in dirt, with very little vegetation growing. Above the walls is mostly rock, and here on the valley floor is a lot of some substance that translates roughly to clay, I would guess." Daniel looked at Michael, who was nodding his head very slightly.

"Dirt on the slopes, huh? Well, as we know, the soil here is very much our friend, and it looks like we just found a large amount of it right where we need it." He turned to Teal'c. "D'you think we have enough of the larger explosives to take out key points along the ridge and cause some fairly major land slides?

Teal'c smiled a particularly feral smile. "I believe we do, O'Neill."

Sam turned to Raynen. "Michael, can the reactor be set to overload and explode?"

Raynen shook his head. "Tricky. Too long." he murmured.

"Okay, so we come in here and set a timer on a few packs of C4 so that it goes the same time as the outside booms." O'Neill was bouncing on his toes. He really did like to blow things up.

"Actually, this thing needs to go a bit after the outside so that the topsoil from the landslides gets well into the area before being dropped into the reservoir."

"Um, excuse my ignorance, but how are we going to get the soil from up here to down there?" Daniel asked.

Jack turned to Sam, who looked uncertain for a moment. "Um. I'm not sure about that." She turned to Raynen, who was rapidly punching up another set of maps. It still depicted the valley they were in, but now showed several dozen holes pocking the ground.

"Of course!" Sam said. "The ventilation shafts. Wow. This is going to be tricky, and the timing is going to have to be perfect." She looked at the others. "Once we get the landslides going, we have to blow this area, which will uncover the natural vents built into the ground. Once they're exposed, the topsoil will be able to flow into them and down into the reservoir. In addition, if we set more explosives along the valley floor between the shafts, we can cause fractures in the crust, and with a little luck, we might get the whole area to become a huge sinkhole. Of course, while all of this is going on, there is still going to be a huge explosion coming from this reactor due to the naquadah remnant that will be housed inside of it." Sam turned to Michael again. "Are you still going to be able to protect the city?" A single affirmative nod, and Sam turned back to her team.

A touch on her arm turned her back, and Raynen released her. She looked over his shoulder again, and frowned at the new display he had pulled up. She recognized the schematic as one of the cruisers being built around them, and it had a countdown of some sort ticking below it.

"Daniel? What is that?" she asked the linguist.

"Oh no." Daniel breathed. "They finished the first ship. It's going to be launched at dawn."

"Well, we were going to have to do our thing at night anyway to minimize the amount of civilian casualties." Jack said to them. "Might as well be tonight. Let's get back to camp and get set up." Jack walked to the front of Raynen's console. "Can you get us a set of those topographic maps ASAP?" Raynen nodded and manipulated his board again. O'Neill leaned over it to see what he was pulling up. The map moved southeast of the compound and centered over the area where SG-1 had set up their base camp.

Jack was surprised. "You're going to bring the maps to us? Are you sure about that?"

Michael looked up and met Jack's eyes. He nodded, and Jack was a little taken aback by the calm confidence in the man's eyes. Personally, he was nervous as hell. "Okay," he turned to the others, "let's get back and figure out how we're going to do this."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The sun was setting by the time the group made it back to camp, and they were all exhausted by the days' events. Daniel got out the medkits and began to tend to the various scrapes and scratches they had all received from their experience in the cave. Teal'c waved him away and got up to pace the area, impatient, in his stoic Jaffa way, to get moving again. Sam sat close to Jack, even though he seemed to be fine, and allowed Daniel to clean and disinfect the scrapes on her hands and arms. She winced a bit as he moved onto a deeper abrasion, but didn't say anything until Daniel had moved away. Then she turned to Jack.

"What happened to you in there?"

"In where?"

"Come on. You know what I'm talking about. In the cave-- who cleaned your wounds?"

Jack looked at her, knowing she, of all people, would understand, but still unwilling to tell her he had accepted help from a stranger. "Joshua." he said finally, not meeting her eyes.

Sam didn't say anything, just nodded her understanding.

"He just kind of showed up all of a sudden, just before you guys were able to get in. He cleaned me up, gave me some water, then left."

Sam knew there was more to it, but didn't push the issue. She knew how hard it would have been for him to allow someone to help him this way. Putting her head on his shoulder, she was quiet for a bit, trying to find some rest in the quiet of the forest around them. The snap of a twig brought her to alertness and she looked up to see Michael Raynen entering their camp, several large rolls of paper under his arms, and a datapad in his hand. O'Neill stood to greet him and to relieve him of his burden, handing the datapad to Carter.

"You made it." he said to the shorter man. "Were you followed?"

"No. I am able to render myself invisible to even the priors of the Ori if I need to. No one knows I am gone, and will not for some time, as this is to be my rest period."

"Good. Teal'c, come on over here, and let's get started." Jack rolled out the large parchments on one of the sleeping bags and pulled a red pen out of his bag. Teal'c and Michael kneeled down next to him and the three of them began to plot the best places to lay their charges. In the meantime, Sam pulled out her laptop and hooked it to the datapad, revealing the schematics of the naquadah rector in the control tower. She considered it carefully from all angles, wanting to make sure they would know exactly where their explosives would do the most damage. After a few minutes of study, she was glad she had taken the time to examine the construction carefully. Most of it was very heavily shielded by forcefields and extremely thick materials. Simple C4 would not penetrate these areas. It would just make a lot of noise and set off a bunch of alarms. Sam kept looking, knowing there had to be a weak spot, but she was soon frustrated as a solution failed to present itself. Then she had a thought and quickly pulled up the schematics of the ships she had grabbed from the Orisi's quarters. Studying them for a moment revealed that many of the power conduits that snaked out from the naquadah reactor led straight into the power cores of each ship, thus allowing them to become self-sufficient as their construction progressed.

She grimaced at the realization, knowing it meant they were going to have to plant charges at the cores of each ship, and hope the damage would extend through the conduits to the reactor itself.

Sam got up and stretched, looking over to where the others were still hovering over Michael's topographical maps. It was now full dark, and they were using flashlights to see what they were looking at. She looked over Daniel's shoulder, noticing that Jack was adding another red X to an already impressive collection of them covering the lines denoting the walls of the valley.

"How's it coming?" she asked.

"Done." O'Neill announced. "Piece of cake." he grinned at Daniel, who exchanged a look of long suffering with Teal'c. "How 'bout you?"

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news is that the reactor can be blown. Bad news is that we're going to have to plant charges in the power cores of each ship, and hope the feedback damage will do the trick." she turned to Michael. "Will it work?"

"Yes, but the process of setting up the explosives will be tricky."

"I've done tricky before." Sam said confidently.

"I would like to accompany you, if I may." Raynen said to her. "My knowledge of the workings of the ship may prove useful."

"I have no problem with you coming, but we may get into some…uh…tight situations, and I can't guarantee your safety."

Raynen smiled. "Do not worry. I can handle myself in such situations."

Carter looked at O'Neill for confirmation, and he nodded. "Let's go over the plan."

Half an hour later, it was done, and Jack picked up his pack and settled it on his shoulders.

"Oof." Daniel said as he did the same. "How much crap did you put in here?"

"I believe you have the lightest pack among us, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said to him, smiling slightly.

"Oh." Daniel shut up after that, activating his cloak and following the others out of camp.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They reached the rocky ridge surrounding the shipyard and sat resting for a moment. The packs really were quite heavy, and they all had arduous tasks ahead of them.

"Okay, Sam," Jack said to her, "keep your head down. That staff will light you up like a beacon, so you're going to have to be careful."

Sam, of course, knew this very well, but she also knew that O'Neill needed to say it to keep everyone on track, so she kept quiet as he continued. "Set the timer on your charges at 15 minutes, starting the countdown at…" he checked his watch, "2230 hours, then get out fast. Radio us as soon as you can." Jack turned to Daniel and Teal'c. "We'll set our first round timers to13.5 minutes, and our second round to 15, both starting at 2230 hours as well. That should give enough time for the topsoil to get into the area from the first explosions, which will settle into the reservoir once our second round and Sam's charges blow the whole valley floor." Everyone nodded, they had gone over this before they left. "After the charges are set, everyone hightail it over to the meeting point to the north behind the shield, which is set up now, right?"

Raynen nodded. "It will be in place when it is needed. Have no fear."

Jack looked at him for a moment, noting the strange wording in the statement, then shook his head and moved on. If the shield wasn't in place, they were all going to be very dead, and that would be it. The task still needed to be completed. Jack just hoped it wouldn't kill too many civilians if it didn't work.

A bit of melancholy drifted over him for a moment and he impulsively reached out to Sam and squeezed her hand. "Let's do it." Jack released her and moved away with Daniel and Teal'c.

Raynen looked at Sam through her cloak. "He loves you very much."

Sam watched Jack disappear into the trees, and nodded. "Yeah." She took a breath. "Let's go."

Michael nodded, then they both stood and he led the way down the path to the road that led into the shipyard. The prior's harsh white night light shone throughout the camp, but it was a directional thing which left deep shadows that Sam could hide in as they made their way toward the nearest ship. They made good time, and were soon at the main entrance, which, unfortunately, was situated in full view of the illuminating staff. On the bright side, only one guard stood at the entrance, and the door was currently open.

"I will distract him and meet you inside." Raynen whispered to Sam from their hiding place behind a nearby container. Sam nodded, and the man walked up to the guard, talking animatedly to him about something that was in the opposite direction from her approach. Sam waited until the guard had his back to her, then quietly ran up behind him and slipped inside the ship. It was dark inside, but the nature of her cloak allowed her to see clearly. She waited for a moment, allowing Raynen time to join her, and they set off in the direction of the power core. After reaching the room where it was housed, they snuck past the guards (there was no prior staff to illuminate Sam), set the charges and the timer, and left as quietly as they had come. Once outside, they moved to the second ship and repeated the process, then to the third. As they moved toward the fourth and final ship, Sam began to relax a little. So far, they had been able to completely avoid detection and they were moving quickly. At this rate, they would be done with their assignment about fifteen minutes early.

The pair repeated their routine and easily entered the ship. They started down the corridor identical to the other three ships and were about to round the last corner when a loud voice and bright light stopped them.

"Stop where you are!" Sam and Michael both whirled around to be confronted by a very angry prior, his staff lit, with three guards surrounding him. Sam glanced at Michael, who was staring at the prior.

'_I will deal with the prior, you take the guards.'_ Sam heard in her head. She didn't stop to think how this could happen, she just nodded and plowed headlong into the guards, taking them by surprise. Sam jammed the heel of her hand into the nose of one guard, killing him instantly, then spun and shoved another fist into the stomach of another. He doubled, and she brought her knee up to connect with his decending head. Shifting her weight, she lashed out with a foot, knocking the third man's weapon from his hand and sending it flying away from him. He recovered quickly, though, and spun her around with a roundhouse to her temple as she turned to face him. Pain blossomed through her head, blurring her vision a bit, but she ignored it and squared off with the guard. She risked a glance at Michael, who was a little further down the corridor, obviously engaged in a battle of wills with the prior. Then the man in front of her made his move and she concentrated on her own fight. He was fast and had obviously had extensive training in hand to hand combat. Well, so had Sam, so she was easily able to block his first rapid barrage of punches and kicks. He backed off, studying her anew, impressed by her abiltiy to challenge him.

Sam knew this guy would take her head off if she let him, so she decided to take the offensive. She had trained pretty extensively with Teal'c, and incorporated several techniques she had learned from him into her salvo. He blocked her first two punches, but a quick right jab to his solar plexus had him staggering, and she moved in to take him down. He saw her coming and whirled away from the boot flying at his head, launching into a spin kick that caught her across the face and sent her crashing to the floor. She instinctively twisted away from his follow up kick aimed at her stomach, and scrambled to her feet, then dropped to a knee, pretending to be more injured than she was. He took the bait, leering at her as he swaggered closer, and bent over her. "You're good, girlie. But not as good as me." He reached back to pull a knife from his belt, and Sam exploded upward, sending a double fisted punch right into his jaw, snapping his head back and sending him crashing to the floor. Sam looked down at him, watching him moan and start to roll to his side as he tried to rise. Putting all her weight on one foot, Sam kicked him in the head, sending him into oblivion.

"Don't call me girlie." she said, breathing hard. She looked around for Michael, and found him still engaged with the prior, who was shaking and sweating. Michael glanced at her, and seeing that she was free of her attackers, he glanced one more time at the prior, who suddenly collapsed to the floor, his staff going dark.

Sam walked up to the inert form and nudged it with her boot. "Is he dead?"

Michael looked down at the prior, sadness in his eyes and voice. "Yes. I tried to get him to see reason, but he would not listen, and I knew he would alert the rest of the compound had I allowed him to live. Still, it is a great shame." He looked at her. "Come, let us continue our task and finish this."

* * *

Jack, Teal'c and Daniel stuck to the top of the ridge, well out of range of the prior's questing light. They had spread out a bit, each of them planting a range of light explosives at strategic points along the top of the valley wall. Working quickly, they were able to complete their task in less than an hour, then they all scrambled down an incline that was less steep than some of the others, and began the process over again along the valley floor and near the exposed vents. This second phase was much more dangerous, as it put them in range of the prior's staff. The three men split up, Teal'c and Daniel moving east around the ridge, and Jack moving west.

Jack stayed low as he moved across the edge of the valley. He was still a little ways out from the shipyard itself, so there weren't many people in the area, but he didn't want to take any chances, so he kept to the shadows as much as he could.

Jack crouched down to lay another charge, burying it a little into the dirt on the off chance someone was going to see it, set the timer, and looked up, preparing to move on to the next one. The next moment, a bright light was shining in his eyes, and a booted foot was moving very fast straight at his head.

* * *

Raynen and Carter moved through the bowels of the fourth and final ship. This one was almost completely finished, and so was fully powered and easier to navigate. Unfortunately it also meant a lot more Ori wandering its halls, so Sam had to be very careful not to bump into anyone. They rounded yet another corner, but stopped when they saw a large group of guards carrying someone down the hallway. Sam went cold when she saw who was being carried—it was Jack, and it didn't look like he'd been treated kindly.

Michael saw him too, and touched Sam's arm. "I will set the final charge while you go after him, but remember to be quick."

Sam nodded, grateful for his intuition, and ran after the retreating Ori. Staying well back from them, she assessed the situation, trying to decide if her element of surprise and her invisibility would be enough advantage to get Jack out. Seeing his current condition, however, she concluded there was no way he would be able to move on his own any time soon. She would have to wait until he was left alone to get to him, so she simply followed, watching him, making sure he was still breathing.

The Ori finally stopped in front of a large door, and the leader signaled whoever was inside. "Come." said a voice that made Sam want to shiver. It was the prior that had invaded her mind—was it really just the day before?

The doors opened, and the guardsmen moved inside with their burden, which they unceremoniously dumped on the floor. Sam was right behind them and had to stop herself from catching Jack as he fell. She moved quickly behind a large chair in the room where she could see what was going on, but was out of sight should the prior decide to light his staff.

Jack groaned a bit where he lay, and the prior smirked at him. "So, the woman was not alone after all. Shall we see if your mind is a little more open than hers was?"

Sam ducked as harsh white light filled the room, and winced at Jack's renewed groans of anguish. She sympathized, remembering the tearing violation that accompanied this particular trick. The light grew brighter, if that was possible, and Jack's groaned soon turned to cries of pain as he continued to resist. "Fine." Sam heard the prior's voice again, angry now.

"If you will not succumb, then you will die." The white light turned orange, and Sam crouched, ready to cover Jack's body with hers if need be, when she heard another voice in the room.

"Stop." It was not a request. In fact, it was very obviously a command, and the authority that rang through it made the prior extinguish his light and stare at the source of the voice. Sam poked her head out from behind the chair once the light went out, and just about fell on the floor in shock. Joshua was standing over O'Neill, staring the prior right in the face.

"This man is not yours to harm." he said, quieter now.

"You." the prior hissed, and there was so much hatred and evil in that one word that Sam shuddered, glad it was not directed at her. For the moment, at least. "You have no authority here."

"I have authority wherever I choose to exercise it, as you well know, Likken." Joshua said calmly.

"Leave us!" the prior shouted at his men, who scrambled to do his bidding. He turned back to Joshua as soon as they were gone. "What do you want with this one? He does not even know who you are."

"That is not your concern. Leave him be."

"No! I do the bidding of my masters, and answer to no one but them." Likken's voice was haughty as he once again activated his staff. This time the light that came from it was an ugly purple, shot with green and brown, like a living bruise emanating from the crystal within. It continued to build, and the prior's face twisted, wicked with glee at the atrocity he was about to commit. Joshua stood his ground, watching the prior, and Sam could see sadness mixed in with the resolution, and yes, the anger that glimmered there. She wanted to shout a warning, to tell Joshua to move, but the words caught in her throat as the ugly purple light suddenly shot toward him—and bounced back into the prior's face. His screams were horrible to behold as he writhed and twisted in the cloud of evil that surrounded him. After only a moment, it dissipated, leaving nothing behind but a slight swirl of smoke and the faint smell of sulfur.

Sam crept out from her hiding place and walked to where Joshua still stood over Jack.

"Samantha, you must help him to your meeting place with the others. Can you do that?"

"He's in pretty bad shape, and I certainly can't carry him that far."

Joshua knelt down beside Jack and put a hand on his head. After a moment, Jack opened his eyes and sat up. Looking up at Sam, he said, "What's up?"

Sam smiled at him, "I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get out of here." She turned to Joshua, "What about you?"

Joshua smiled at her and put a hand on her cheek. Once again she felt his strength push all her fear aside.. "I will be fine, and will meet you there. Now go."

Sam knelt down beside Jack and grabbed his hand, hauling him to his feet. They turned toward the door, which slid open. Once over the threshold, Sam glanced back, but Joshua was already gone. "How does he do that?" she muttered as she and Jack moved quickly back through the ship and out into the open.

Sam glanced northward as they both broke into an all out sprint, thankful that she and Michael had left this ship until last, as it was the one closest to the city, and so to the shielded area. They were about two thirds of the way there when the first timer hit zero, and several massive explosions jerked them both off their feet and into the dirt. Sam stayed down for a moment, dazed by the explosion and her impact with the ground, then clambered up again, reaching for O'Neill, who was also rising.

"We've gotta move." she said to him.

"Ya think?" he answered back, and they both took off, running for all they were worth. Jack stayed slightly behind Sam, although whether that was because he was hurt, or because he wanted to make sure she made it, she didn't know. They could see the city in the darkness, its lights getting closer and closer as they ran. Then the second timers went off, and the whole world went orange and hot. Sam felt like she was flying for a moment, then she and Jack landed hard—right at the feet of Daniel and Teal'c. She turned quickly to look back the way they had come, and saw massive blasts going off all over the shipyard. Then she looked up and Joshua and Michael were both there, standing close to them, facing the carnage.

"Oh, crap." O'Neill said, turning where he sat and watching as an enormous explosion ripped through the night. "Um, Michael, about that shield?"

Michael said nothing, simply looking at Joshua, who stepped forward a few feet and raised his arms. Shockwaves of heat and fire came roaring at them from the shipyard as the naquadah reactor went up.

"We are so dead." Daniel said quietly.

Joshua glanced back at him briefly before turning back to the oncoming hell. "I have been dead before." he said, and the heat slammed into him, and went—straight up. For meters in each direction, flames raged impotently along a bright golden shield that seemed to spring from Joshua's very body.

"What the hell is that?" Daniel said quietly.

"I don't know," Jack answered, "but I'm starting to think hell has nothing to do with it."

Explosions continued to rock the valley floor and a loud cracking sound could be heard above the noise of the flames. In seconds, the entire earth under the shipyard began to sink, taking the buildings and the fires that burned them with it.

"Now we'll see if there's enough topsoil to neutralize the naquadah beneath, or we really are dead." Sam said to no one in particular.

They all watched in horrified fascination as the ground sunk lower and lower. Bright green flame began to rise here and there, and Sam closed her eyes, afraid of what the fire bursts meant. Then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The fires that burned from the naquadah went out, the cracking and trembling ceased, and all was quiet, except where wood and other less volatile materials continued to burn.

Jack let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and picked himself up off the ground. He hurt, oh man, he hurt, but he forced himself up, forced himself to check on Sam and the others to make sure they were okay. Once satisfied, he turned to Joshua, who was, once again, faintly glowing in the darkness of the night.

"Pretty neat trick." Jack said. "How'd you do it?"

Joshua winked at him, "Magic."

"Right." Jack smiled back. He took a deep breath. "Let's get out of here."

The others nodded in agreement, and the group turned to walk around the carnage and back toward their camp site. Joshua and Michael kept pace with them.

"So who are you really?" Jack asked Joshua as they walked.

Joshua looked at him, then at the others, who were looking at him curiously. "Actually, I have many names, Joshua being one of them." He turned to Teal'c. "On Chu'lak, I am known as Tri'oni." Looking at Daniel, he said, "To the Ori and the Ancients, I am called Primor." Now he turned back to Jack and Sam. "On Earth, in your culture, I am best known as Jesus the Christ."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Michael smiled at the absolutely flabbergasted expressions on the faces of the humans, who had stopped in their tracks. He looked different now, taller and somehow more substantial than he had. "I would have thought you would have figured it out by now. Especially you, Sam, as you have had the most time with him."

"Uh, I uh, well um." Sam stuttered, still in shock. Then her brain took over. Had she known? She had certainly wondered about Joshua's origins, but now it seemed He WAS the origin. Of everything. Whoa.

She came out of her thoughts as Daniel stepped forward and cleared his throat. "If you are who you say you are, then I have a ridiculous amount of questions for you." he said.

Joshua smiled at him and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Your questions will be answered in due time, Daniel. But not today. Right now, it is time for you to go home. Michael and I will walk you to your camp, and then to the stargate."

Jack nodded and, still looking a little shell-shocked, turned to lead the way. He was quiet as they walked, caught up in his own thoughts, wondering…

Teal'c was also quiet, though this was not unusual for him. The legend of Tri'oni was old, possibly one of the oldest in his culture, and to be honest, he didn't really know much about it, being as he was, caught up in fighting for the fate of the galaxy and all. Even as a child, when the songs were sung and the tales told, he had always been too busy practicing to be a warrior to learn the oldest of the tales. Only the ones about bloodshed and battle had interested him at the time. And when he had grown to the point when he would have liked learn these stories, he was already in the service of Apophis, and had no time for such frivolities. Now, he wished once more that he had taken the time to learn them in his youth, so that he might have been prepared to meet the Tri'oni, or The First One, in person. Teal'c knew the man could be lying, but after everything he had just witnessed, it was easier to believe he was telling the truth.

They reached their camp just as the planet's second moon was reaching its peak, providing enough light for them to pack up their belongings without using flashlights. It didn't take long. Most of the weight coming into this operation had been explosives, which had now served their purpose, so within minutes, they were ready to go.

Jack looked around one more time, making sure they weren't forgetting anything, then said, "Let's go home."

The others nodded, and they all turned toward the gate, walking slowly, taking their time. Daniel found himself walking next to Michael, and noticed he was glowing softly, much like Joshua was, but to a lesser degree. "So," Daniel said hesitantly, "if He's…uh…Jesus, then you must be…"

"I am Michael, archangel to the Lord of Hosts, and leader of His armies."

"And when you said only about two thirds of your kind serve him, then the other third are the followers of…"

"He, too, has many names. You know him best as Satan, and it is he who commands the Ori."

"Whoa."

Michael laughed and clapped him on the back as they continued walking.

Sam walked quietly next to Jack, studying him out of the corner of her eye. He was obviously thinking hard about something that was bothering him, and she knew enough to leave him alone when he was like this. So she just walked, enjoying their success, enjoying the clear quiet of the night, and enjoying the warmth that Joshua exuded as he walked just behind them.

Finally, they reached the gate, and Daniel started to move toward the DHD. He stopped when Teal'c put a hand on his arm. "Wait." he said quietly. Daniel was puzzled, but did as he was asked, looking around for the source of Teal'c request. His eyes rested on Jack, who was turning and walking toward Joshua, his eyes glittering with unshed tears that he was obviously trying valiantly to hold back.

"Uh, Joshua, if you are who you say you are, I was just, uh, wondering if you knew anything about, um…" he stopped, looking at Joshua, not wanting to say what was on his mind just in case he was wrong.

"You want to know if your son is with me." Joshua said to him, putting both hands on Jack's shoulders. He smiled tenderly, love glowing in his eyes. "Charlie is indeed with me. He is happy and complete. There are no tears where he is, and no sorrows."

"Does he…" Jack choked, tears running freely down his face, now.

"Yes, he knows you, and remembers you with great love."

Jack nodded, and glanced at Sam, whose face was also wet with tears. He cleared his throat, trying to stay in control of himself. "Can I see him?"

Joshua looked deep into Jack's eyes as if searching for something, then he let his hands drop from Jack's shoulders and turned slightly, holding out a hand. At his fingertips, what looked like a tear in the dimness of the night appeared, and warm, bright golden light spilled from it, caressing whatever it touched. Then the crack widened, and a young boy stepped through.

Jack took one look and fell to his knees, arms out to receive the headlong dash the child made for him. Jack enveloped him in is arms, hands cradling the child's head and body, whispering to him. Eventually, Charlie pulled away a little bit so he could look into his father's eyes. He smiled happily at him, which made Jack smile, even as his heart twisted in anguish.

"How are you, Charlie?" Jack asked, his voice breaking a little.

Charlie studied his father with a wisdom that was uncanny to see on a child so young. The boy put a hand on each side of Jack's face. "Please don't worry about me, Daddy. I love where I am. Please don't be sad."

Then he smiled, and his little face glowed like a sunrise. Jack studied him, intent on memorising every detail. He could see Joshua moving toward them, and knew his time was short. He pulled his son into one last tight hug, then let him go. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

"I love you, Charlie."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Joshua held out a hand to the boy, and he happily skipped over to take it. "Time to go, Charlie." The child nodded at him, and with a last little wave, he jumped two footed back through the crack in the universe, and disappeared.

Jack stayed on his knees in the sudden darkness, fearing his heart was going to break all over again. He could hear, distantly, Sam's quiet crying, and Daniel's quiet murmurings, but they were very far away. Then a voice, Joshua's voice, came to him, just as quietly, but close, so close he may have been in Jack's mind.

"Death is a hard thing to bear because it is not how things are supposed to be."

Jack looked up into eyes shining with love and tears. "Will I ever see him again?" he whispered.

Joshua looked directly into Jack's eyes, straight into his soul. "Whether or not you see Charlie again is entirely up to you."

Then he stood and pulled Jack to his feet before enveloping him in a close embrace. Jack could feel warmth and love flowing into his body, melting the ice over his heart and untwisting the knots that had been in his stomach for the last ten years.

Joshua released him after only a few moments, but Jack felt better. Good, in fact. He had just blown up a bunch of really bad guys, his son was safe and sound, and he was going home. He turned to Sam and hugged her tight, calling over her head, "Daniel, dial it up."

Jack turned back to Joshua and Michael and stuck out his hand to each for them to shake. "Thank you both for your help. I don't think we could have pulled this off without you."

"The work you are doing is very important, General." Michael said to him. "You must never give up. Keep fighting, and the Ori will be defeated." Jack nodded to him, then stepped back to allow Sam to approach.

Sam embraced Michael, thanking him for his help, then turned to Joshua, and smiled. "Thank you. For everything." she said. It was all she could think to say. Joshua held out his arms, and she walked into them, wishing the peace and joy she found there would never fade.

"It doesn't have to, you know." she heard in her head, and she pulled back to look at him. He just smiled at her. "For those to whom much is given, much is required." he said to her. "And you are using your gifts well. I am very proud of you, child." Joshua kissed her cheek, then released her completely.

Daniel and Teal'c said their goodbyes and then SG-1 walked as a team back to the gate. They all looked back just before they stepped into the event horizon, to watch Joshua and Michael wave one last time before vanishing. They all looked at each other and shook their heads, and with one more step, they were home.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jack was in his quarters, resting on his bunk and staring at the ceiling when he heard the door open. He smiled as Sam walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Interesting debriefing, huh?" she said to him, smiling a little at the memory.

"Yeah, to say the least. Did you see Mitchell's face when we told him who had been helping us?" Jack chuckled. "Priceless, I tell you."

Sam smiled too, then grew serious. "Do you think they believed us?"

"I'm still not sure I believed us. I mean think about the implications of this whole Joshua thing, Sam. This is huge!"

"I have been thinking about it, but I'm still not real sure what to make of it. I think I need more processing time."

"Processing time? Did you seriously just say processing time?" he sighed exaggeratedly and put a hand over his eyes. "I always knew you had a computer in your skull, Sam, but come on!" he peeked out from under his hand, checking to make sure she knew he was kidding. Her big smile made him smile too, and he sat up to kiss her. "We still on for tonight?"

"Like I would even think about letting you get out of taking me to a nice steak dinner. Of course we're still on. But first, I have to finish my mission reports, so if you'll excuse me, sir." She kissed him, making him groan in mock despair when she stood and moved to the door. She turned the handle and was halfway out before turning back to him, "I love you, Jack."

He smiled at her from the bed. "I know. I love you too."

She smiled and closed the door behind her. Jack laid there for a moment more before heaving himself of his bunk and walking over to his bookshelf. He chose a title and sat down with it, running his fingers over the spine. The cover was black with gold lettering, and there was a name engraved on the front cover: Charlie O'Neill. It was a Bible that someone had given Charlie the day he was born. It hadn't been used much, and Jack had only kept it for sentimental reasons, but now it seemed to hold the keys to the universe. Jack opened the book to a random spot and began to read: _In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God._

The End.


End file.
